Revenge: An Earthling's Retribution
by Nova.81
Summary: Two powerful races battling for Universal domination; one vengeful genius trying to regain what she has lost and everyone else, caught in between, who only have their own interests at heart in a world filled with lies, deception and betrayal where revenge is the ultimate punishment! *AU. Dark, mature and explicit content! Mainly Bulma and Vegeta.*
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** _Dear Reader,_

_This story will follow a plot of Bulma seeking revenge on the Saiyans for purging her home Planet and making her a sex slave. Not very original I know, but I will try to make this as different as possible and will be fun for all those who like this kind of AU's. _

_She won't be a sex slave during the story though. She has already managed to break free from the bondage and start her attack on the ruthless Saiyan King who she holds responsible for the mess her life has been turned into._

_She will be vindictive, calculating and a downright bitch, though wouldn't you if you were taken as a sex slave against your will? Bulma will be kept to being an Earthling with incredible intelligence, beauty, feistiness and her original DBZ characteristics._

_However destiny, and well me, have different ideas for Bulma's Revenge plans. _

_Enter Vegeta who will screw up her plans for freedom at every turn. Challenging her in ways that no one could before and ever will. He will be kept to his arrogant, prideful, emotion hidden, sexy bastard characteristics but we wouldn't have him any other way._

_Now throw into the mix a "Saiyan" Kakarot with secrets, an evil Frieza with Universal domination on his mind and a whole host of our other favourite characters with their own agendas and I'm hoping this story will be a good read. _

_There will be a lot of cussing, blood, sex and explicit content intertwined with angst, drama and suspense. So let the story unfold …_

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DRAGON BALL Z!**

**WARNING: THIS STORY WILL BE DARK, BLOODY, GORY, SEXUAL AND VERY EXPLICIT! PLEASE ENSURE YOU ARE OVER 18 YEARS OF AGE AND IS NOT SENSITIVE TO THE ABOVE MENTIONED SPECIFICS. **

**Revenge: An Earthling's Retribution**

**Chapter One**

My blue eyes took in the sight before me. Muscular and composed with sharp, well defined features that made him undeniably handsome. That made him undeniably royal.

Inside I was a raging inferno of emotions. Nothing seemed to take priority though. Hate, fear, excitement and passion all seemed to be battling with each other inside of me. But none was made visible to the powerful man standing before me. On the outside I wore a mask of complete submission, one that had the Saiyan King smirking predatorily at me.

And so I schooled my lovely features into a well-practiced mask of deception and elegantly curtsied before him, making sure the pale skin of my cleavage tantalised his hungry eyes. _'Let the games begin.'_ I thought evilly.

He nodded at my well-rehearsed bow and I stood up straight. I knew much about the Saiyan King to know that he did not like to be challenged. He liked the few women he chose to indulge in to be submissive and pliant. In reality my personality was far from either submissive or compliant but for him I would pretend to be. Eight years of living the life I had and you quickly learned the tricks of the trade well. You knew exactly when to play your cards. And if all went according to my well devised plans then I would easily win this battle. I didn't believe in luck, I believed only in making my own destiny. Yes, things like luck and fate which had meant more than superstitions on my home Planet were now nothing but trivial beliefs that were overpowered by the reality of the Universe's truth.

Being a slave for eight years was not something anyone could come away unscathed by. But the weak minded perished and the strong … the strong extracted their revenge the best way they could. _'And oh how sweet this revenge would be. The revenge of my people.'_

I smile brightly at him, my full red tinted lips glossy, and turn to pour him a glass of alcohol. He openly accepts my offer of his own alcohol and sits on a blue chaise sofa near him. Reclining relaxingly he twirls the rounded glass in his large hand as his hooded gaze watches the dark red liquid twirl for him in the confines of the small glass. I see this as a wondrous opportunity to put my plan into action and go down on my knees before him, keeping my gaze down casted.

I can literally feel the smirk of pleasure that twists his sensual mouth and I patiently wait for him to make the next move. After what seems like forever – but has only truly been a minute or so in reality – I hear him set down his glass on a table next to the sofa, placed there exactly for that purpose. The breath I had unconsciously been holding wanes from between my painted lips. Then he lifts me off the lush crème carpet by my arms. I allow my silky black tresses to curtain my face so I can smile in secret satisfaction.

"Look at me." He commands; his gruff voice loud and undeniable.

I acquiesce, making sure I recomposed myself, lifting my head to look at him innocently. Satisfied he lifts me completely off my knees and brings me to straddle his waist. I willingly part my legs, my knee length dress riding up my silky thighs, and intentionally rub my pelvis against his crotch earning a soft growl of approval from him.

"Let me pleasure you my King." I whisper softly, ensuring my voice is at its sweetest tones of seductive perfection. "Let me pleasure you to show you how exciting I find your obvious strength." _'Ah yes, the strength card.'_ I know above all else a Saiyan warrior values his strength. Especially the arrogant bastard King.

Hearing no protest from him I place my small hands at his waist caressing the bottom of his gold trimmed armour. He accepts the hint and removes his chest plate from his body with ease and sets it on the empty sofa space next to him.

My plan was coming along perfectly. He wasn't in the least bit suspicious of my true intentions. He seriously believes I am here for nothing more than to please him tonight. A common whore. And I had been one for so long.

Eight years ago my Planet had been purged by the ruthless Saiyan warriors of Vegeta-sei under their King's orders. My people had been viciously slaughtered and as a weak race completely unaware of extra-terrestrial life form we were incapable of even defending ourselves from the onslaught that fell upon us. In hindsight having any forewarning would have proved to be pointless as the Saiyans were an incredibly strong race of warriors.

Because of my undeniable beauty at sixteen years of age I had been captured as a slave. A sex slave. My mind still seemed to reject the idea even though it had been years since I last had to _work_ to stay alive. And although I no longer was required to sell my body to survive it seemed it was the only asset I could use in this world that I was forced to live in. That and my intelligence. However my intelligence could only go so far in ensuring my plans succeeded. In the end it would always come down to putting my body out there. A fact that I had to make peace with from the very beginning to have come so far. Yet in my heart I knew it wasn't really peace that I had made but a reluctant sense of acceptance for a greater cause. But the damage of being a slave for years had already left its ugly scars. Emotional scars. Scars that could not be seen by the eyes but felt by the heart. Scars that marred the innocent beauty of a soul that was once so naïve and pure.

But I had sworn revenge on the man who had taken my life from me. I had promised myself and my loved ones that I would make him pay by my own hands. And eight years later, here I was, at the cusp of fulfilling my long nurtured dreams for reprisal, vengeance, revenge.

His lips descended on mine before I could think further and I allowed myself to smile victoriously against his bruising kiss. _'Oh but this was way too easy.'_

As fast as he had kissed me his head reared away from mine. He held me away from him to look at me as if trying to figure out what exactly I was. And again I smiled proudly at him. As he sputtered without any coherency and his grip loosened I shrugged out of his hold and left straddling his hips to stand before him. He got up from the couch and I took a cautious step back. He wiped viscously at his mouth but I knew it was too late for that. And then he grabbed violently at his throat as if trying to hold back the poison I knew would already be travelling way past his vocal cords.

His mouth gaped like a fish out of water but no sound was heard. I threw my head back and laughed triumphantly at his discomfort. I watched as the most beautiful scene of my life played out before my very own eyes. His skin started to bubble and boil, puss bursting from the over inflamed rawness. His knees gave way and he sank down onto the plush crème carpets of his room, struggling to breathe. He held his hands before him watching as slowly but surely the acidic like poison started to melt away the skin and flesh from his bones. But of course I knew this would be a slow, torturous death, the poison had come from my lips after all, made by my very own hands and damaged mind. Damaged but not broken.

"What a sight this is." I tell him excitedly as I clasp my hands together in evil glee. "The proud, strong Saiyan King bowing before me. Why I must have died and gone to heaven." I see his eyes shoot evil daggers at me and his hands lift with the want to blast me into the heaven I just mentioned but only droplets of melting flesh left his fingers, no ki.

"As hopeless as that was, I'm honestly hurt Vegeta." I mock pout at him and slap away his hand before looking disgustedly at some left over blood, puss and flesh that messes the back of my fingers. My mouth turns down in disdain and I wipe away his residual flesh on my red dress. "Why would you want to kill a woman like me? Little old helpless me." He looks at me like I'm mad and he coughs out violently. I take another step back to avoid the sputtering of his blood and matter. His lips have already melted away completely – being the first part of him to have come into direct contact with my poison – and only his upper lip and chin can be seen somewhat clearly. His teeth begin to fall from his sodden gums and his tongue starts to drool from his mouth. I watch in pure fascination as his eyes widen in disbelief.

A scene as vile and cruel as this should have repulsed me or even had me trying to help the poor tormented person from escaping their pain and suffering. But after years of sleepless nights where this was all I could imagine, all I could wish for, I feel nothing but precious delight. This was a dream come true.

When he momentarily recovers from his coughing fit I put both my hands on my hips and bend down slightly so we can be at eye level with one another. "Well I think it's only right that you know exactly who I am since you're going to die by my hand. Well by my lips if you wish to get technical." I indulge playfully and I know that if the poison hadn't started to melt away his vocal cords he would have been cursing me to doomsday or vehemently denying that someone as weak as me would be able to kill him. Something I had no desire to listen to. Also I needed to prevent him from screaming for help in his paralyzed state. He swayed a bit on his knees so I push him none too gently to recline against the sofa making sure to leave my size four imprint in his slowly melting flesh.

"Can't have you missing the show now can I." I smile sweetly at him. "Let me introduce myself shall I. I am Bulma Briefs. Well that's who I used to be before your order to cruelly purge my Planet left me just a body to fuck. But of course you won't really remember my Planet now would you. I'm sure you've purged so many already that the names of weaker Planets escape you." I taunt venomously.

"Not to worry though, we will surely remedy that by the end of the night." I wink at him. "But first let me show you what I truly look like so my image will haunt you even in the afterlife. The face of a woman obviously so much physically weaker than you who managed to bring you to your knees and crush you with her heels." This time there is no fake sweetness to hide the hatred that laces each violent word of death and he gasps. Both from the slow eating away of his inside organs and my words.

I lift my small hand to the roots of my black wig and pull strongly to remove it from my head. Dropping it unceremoniously unto the floor I pull at the tie securing my hair in place and let my blue tresses fall around my shoulders. I wipe at the overly glossy, too red, poison laced lipstick from my mouth before lifting my short dress over my thigh. Strapped to my upper thigh a leather garter holds a box of cigarettes and a lighter securely in place. Slowly lighting a cigarette I drag in the precious calmness of smoke to relieve my tension and lighten my excitement. He was not yet dead and although I really did intend to savour this moment, the thought of someone possibly walking in unannounced scared me slightly. There was no going back now and although I know I covered my tracks well one could never be completely secure in these dangerous situations. Especially since he would still be recognisable as the Saiyan King when I delivered my final blow, the poison stopped from completely eating away at him. I sigh heavily and ash my cigarette on his body.

He offers me another glare to which I shrug casually.

"Why don't I tell you how it is that I brought you to this unfortunate position shall I? Well it wasn't easy you know. Ingenious ideas like mine should not be left unappreciated. It took eight long years to achieve this. From the moment some of your moronic soldiers sold me to a whore house I've been plotting the day of your down fall."

In truth it hadn't been that day exactly. When they had taken me from my home Planet I had thought maybe the man who had taken pity on me was saving me. However the moment I had been thrown into a large space ship and noticed other women surrounding me I knew I was wrong. I was being saved from death but not from a life of utter misery. Unfortunately due to my unusual colouring, beautiful features and enticingly developing body I had been a prime candidate for a sex slave. A whore. Bulma Briefs. A young genius on my own Planet who was richer than rich itself had been reduced to a whore. I had hated it.

It had eaten away at my sense of worth and had violently crushed all dreams I had had for my future. A future that was supposed to be filled with immeasurable success and happiness. That was not where I was supposed to be in life and the worst part was – I didn't even have a choice. I had no choice in determining my own life at all. What kind of life was that? Not one that was worth living surely.

I had tried to fight as hard as I could before letting a man touch me. But I was no match for their superior strength. I was just no match at all. A slap or two was all it took to make me dizzy and with my hands pinned to render me useless I was easy pickings.

And when I had first lost my virginity, my innocence, something I prized above all else I had felt like I had lost everything. In reality I had. I had lost my family, my home and my sense of belonging. What else was there to lose? But it was a day when a certain Saiyan had come into my room eager to get a rise out of me that I had realized I hadn't lost everything. I hadn't lost my life. And I hadn't lost my will to live. Something no one could steal from me. He was infuriated that I would not bend to his will and he had beaten me badly. So badly in fact that I was almost sure I could see death approaching to claim me.

But the house matron had found me bruised and battered and thrown me into a regeneration tank not wanting to lose one of her prized slaves. Especially not one so young who could make her money for years. And when I was nearly at the brink of death had I truly seen life. A life worth living. Not in that moment, but soon. My natural fire and spirit had returned full force wanting nothing more but to rip the heads from the monsters who owned me. And that was when I knew I would have my freedom.

I had continued to work in the whore house for three years after that day. Degrading as it was I had honed my skills in the art of seduction, pleasure and submission. You wouldn't believe how much you could learn from a Saiyan brute writhing underneath you or dominantly pawing over you in the name of pleasure. I had given them their pleasure and in turn taken as much knowledge as I could take from them. I had started to fight my battles with my mind and body unable to do so with my fists. And I had come out on top.

Finally I had found a man foolish enough to buy me from the slave house. I had enticed him well and after that I had lived a life of small freedom. I was allowed to invent devices secretly while biding my time. And after another three years I had finally worked my way to the approaching of my master plan. However there were many intricate details to take into consideration. Killing the King was one thing but I did not plan to live for that alone. I planned to take my life back and in doing so give back life as well. I planned to regain my beautiful Planet. And so the next two years I had worked at plotting my future of freedom. Needless to say it was panning out perfectly.

"It hasn't been easy, let me tell you that. Especially targeting such a powerful man like yourself. But all in all I can say I'm pretty satisfied with the results." A cold laugh escapes my mouth and I smile wickedly at him. "I knew killing you was the most difficult part off all but nothing could faze a genius like myself. So I created an indiscernible acidic poison that would affect only your Saiyan chemistry."

In truth the poison had taken a lot of trial and error to perfect but killing a few Saiyans here and there were the least of my worries. It was a poison that I had mastered perfectly after various failed attempts. It had to be odour free because Saiyans could smell poison from a mile away. It had to be powerful enough to kill them but not too fast because I wanted to enjoy their prolonged suffering and agony. And it had to be something that could come from me. I had concocted a potion worthy of the finest witches' brewery and set it to work.

I had mixed it within my lipstick so I could kiss my King to his death. In truth I had always been fascinated by poison Ivy's little kissing trick that brought the strongest of men to their knees. But I wanted mine to be deadly. Oh how poetic. A kiss of death. It was perfect and I couldn't resist.

I had developed the poison to infuse with the superior genes of a Saiyan. Their ferocious cells that made them heal faster and grow stronger were what I had used to my advantage. The poison would mix with the Saiyan's blood and rapid disposition would occur. The blood would overheat to a point of it acting as acid itself. Burning your insides until your flesh and skin itself melted from your bones.

Oh how satisfying the end results were. A true masterpiece that I would have never thought myself capable of creating had it not been for the cruelty of my life the past eight years.

I bend down slightly to stub my cigarette against his face and he soundlessly screams at me.

"I must say though, your strength at not showing how much this is killing you is truly admirable." I taunt sarcastically. "Although completely lost on me. I can see the way you're suffering on the inside. Let's just say it's an outwards manifestation of the trouble you face inside yourself." I laugh wickedly and then stand up straight again.

"Well as fun as this has been I'm actually running on a bit of a tight schedule." I mock as I glance at my watch.

By now he has slid to the floor completely. The melted flesh from his back sliding of the sofa. His singed hair was already peeling from his scalp and his face was drooping from the poison leaving him looking like a very shrivelled old man. His clothes had long since been burned away and yet his body was still slowly pooling into an unrecognisable puddle of melted flesh; like wax from a burning candle. The smell of his mattered flesh and dripping blood caused me to inhale deeply the fruits of my victory. I could feel the expensive freedom tingle at the tip of my fingers and I closed my hands into a tight fist as if not to lose my grip on it. The taste of victory lingers on my tongue and the words that left my mouth had played in my head for eight long years now.

I lift my right leg carefully and poise the tip of my three inch stiletto heel over his chest. Slowly yet viciously I easily stab at his softened chest with the sharp heel until it squishes into his heart.

"It's a pity your heart hadn't been softened years ago Vegeta, you could have saved yourself this terrible ordeal. You could have saved us both." I say softly, knowing that it was nothing but the truth. Had he only not chose my Planet to purge and left my people in peace I would not have suffered from his actions. I would not have been made into who I was and I would not have sought out revenge over him this way. It had never been who I was, however he had _made_ me this. And although I knew I would not leave here unscathed by my actions today, I would never regret it. Never.

Bending down lower, with my foot still entrenched in his chest, I look directly into his now melting eyeballs.

As his last breath whispers from his gaping mouth I proudly state …

"I am Bulma Briefs and this is my revenge. This is an Earthling's retribution."

**Author's Note:**_ I sincerely hope my first chapter of Revenge: An Earthling's Retribution has pleased readers who have decided to give this story a chance. Please review and let me know what you think of it. Constructive criticism is welcome and if there is anyone who would like to Beta the following chapters please know your kindness and work will be much appreciated!_

_Nova.81_


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note:**_Dear Readers,_

_Thank you all for your amazing reviews, especially to my guest readers who I couldn't thank personally. Just know I truly appreciate your feedback. It's a great incentive to writing._

_Now a few concerns were made but I'm not going to address them here, I'm going to leave you to read the next chapter and see for yourself._

_So without further ado …_

* * *

**Revenge: An Earthling's Retribution**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

"I am Bulma Briefs and this is my revenge. This is an Earthlings Retribution."

With those two deadly sentences the door to the Saiyan King's chambers was violently pushed open almost removing it completely from its strong hinges.

A shorter replica of the Saiyan King stood shell shocked in the doorway, one hand still holding the door open. His piercing black pupils shrinking in utter bewilderment. However it wasn't long before comprehension dawned in his dark gaze from the sight of his almost decomposed father to the woman standing over the dead body.

He turned to relentlessly glare at her with the full blast of his fury and promises of a slow and torturous death …

* * *

The moment the Prince of all Saiyans powerful feet stepped onto the grey cobblestones of his home he knew something was very wrong.

He couldn't explain why the sudden prickling sensation of foreboding alerted his keen senses to some imminent disaster that he would find upon his arrival. He was not the type of being who claimed any sort of special ability of foresight into the sixth sense but he did pride himself on his intelligence. Truth be told, he prided himself on everything.

He sniffed the air around him as if trying to smell anything out of the ordinary but could find nothing out of place in his surroundings. Though the warning that something was off still nagged at him.

'_Father.' _He tried to communicate with his father using their telepathy skills but unfortunately no answer was received. His neck prickled with tension as the guards in the foyer bowed before him. Something was very wrong indeed.

Barely acknowledging the bowing guards lined on either side of him, expecting nothing less from them, Vegeta placed the rosy red glass of his scouter over his left eye.

"Zorn." He called for his father's personal guard and immediately his scouter flashed a reply.

"Prince Vegeta. You have arrived earlier than expected." Zorn replied in slight surprise. "Your father has retired for the night."

On any other day Vegeta would have smirked at the competence of Zorn who knew how dangerous it was to waste the young Prince's time. Vegeta was not a patient man after all. But something was not right within the Castle and a frown creased his ruggedly handsome face.

"I will be paying him a visit none the less." Vegeta replied firmly before ending the communication link with Zorn, cutting off any protests the King's guard would have went on to make. His father wasn't expecting him until tomorrow but he had wrapped up some business earlier than expected. He didn't think his father would be too pleased with him barging through his doors at this hour but it didn't make sense for the old man to not reply to his son's telepathic calling.

Even if he had retired for the night, the old shark was never unaware of his surroundings. And he always replied to telepathy. Always. For some strange reason he felt the need to see his father immediately. They were not a race that was afflicted by emotion but they were not exempt from feeling for their own flesh and blood.

Nappa, his own personal guard, fell into step beside him as they continued down the long hallways of the Castle before reaching the entryway.

"I'm off to the kitchen to get some food." The bald headed Saiyan, who was as large as a giant, told his Prince as he rubbed hungrily at his stomach.

Vegeta nodded acceptingly and continued towards his own destination without another word. There was a lot going on in the Prince's mind lately. Things on his last mission had gone well enough considering it had only been Nappa and himself but still, the air in the Universe had shifted.

There was an undeniable musk of trouble that would soon suffocate their races dominance if they let things get any more out of hand. That trouble was cold Frieza. He inwardly growled at the thought of his enemy as his gloved hands were clenched into tight fists. Frieza was definitely becoming a thorn in their sides. He needed to be removed immediately.

But how that would happen was still to be decided. No one on this side of the galaxy had yet to come face to face with Frieza to know what he looked, like let alone get an accurate reading on his power levels. It was all just hear say about the horrors of Frieza and his ruthless henchmen. And the rumours were starting to say that the Ice-jin was after the Saiyan Empire.

What did that mean exactly? For years now the Saiyans and Ice-jins had played a game of who could make their Empire grow bigger and better, faster, but they had always had a silent agreement that once a Planet was conquered by one race, it was off limits to the other. Now however it seemed that that non-verbal agreement had been taken off the table. The game had been taken to a whole new level.

The Ice-jins were re-purging Planets under the Saiyan rule and the Saiyans were almost helpless in stopping them. Hundreds of Planets in their reign, thousands of people under their rule were starting to deflect. People were beginning to question their protection under Saiyan treaties and possibly realigning themselves with the Ice-jins. The Saiyans could not afford to lose any more Planets.

Again he growled in irritation not happy knowing that he had been bested in some way. He wanted to face Frieza head on and tear him limb for limb. He wanted to prove himself the strongest warrior in the Universe and end any doubts about his race's strength once and for all. But Frieza insisted on playing this game of cat and mouse with the Saiyans, rubbing his elusiveness after his victories in their faces.

They needed to act fast or their entire Empire, all their hard work, all that was theirs would be stolen from from right under their noses.

And curse that Frieza who was so greedy, he was placing his filthy claws into the Saiyan's territory. He did not just come right out and declare war on the Saiyans for he knew to do that would be foolish. A war would leave almost nothing for him to rule. No, he was cunningly sabotaging the Saiyans. Taking over weaker Planets or re-purging Planets that had already been sold and claiming it for his own. Ensuring those beings turned traitors on the Saiyans and gave their allegiance to him. _'Cowards.'_

The Saiyans were being beaten at their own game. They were helpless, they didn't always know where the blasted Ice-jin would strike next and they were bested more times than not. They were losing commodities and their market had dropped drastically in the past year. They had even lost stronger planets completely. Those who refused to bow to Frieza's demands and join his ranks had their home worlds destroyed completely. The Saiyans tried to fight fire with fire but it wasn't as easy as Frieza made it.

He would have to find a way to stop Frieza. If only the coward would show himself then he would beat the Ice-jin to within an inch of his life and hang him out for the entire Universe to see what happened to those who went against a Saiyan. But it was obvious that the bastard was scared of the Saiyans or he wouldn't be hiding behind his games of hide and seek, cowardly stealing from them. As much as Frieza was an unknown entity to the Saiyans he himself didn't know the full potential of the strongest Saiyan warriors. Therefore he was biding his time, trying to infiltrate the Saiyan's rule and pounce on their weaknesses. If he challenged them outright, he could possibly loose.

Frieza was known to be strong and wicked. But it was his intelligence and craftiness that was beginning to unsettle the Saiyans. They were completely unsure of what they were up against. They had managed to ward off some danger by protecting Planets of late and killing some of Frieza's men but it wasn't enough. While Frieza was gaining direct information on the Saiyans during these battles they were coming out with nothing but frustration and loose ends. Not one of Frieza's men would talk. They were all willing to die before divulging any information that could disadvantage the tyrant they so feared. They killed themselves before answers could be pried from them.

The Saiyans couldn't not fight. It wasn't in their blood to turn away from a good battle and they had no choice but to protect what was theirs. Frieza had placed them in between a rock and a hard place and what was more annoying was that the bastard knew it.

Thoughts of Frieza temporarily drifted to the back of his mind as he approached his father's chambers. Vegeta hesitated at the closed door, not wanting to knock at it if his father was really asleep. He hated disturbing his King because the man was a very difficult person when disturbed. He decided he would just open the door very quietly and simply peer inside the room. If his father had retired for the night then he would silently leave.

For the first time in his twenty-five years of existence he felt apprehension at opening his father's door. He growled at the door as if it was offensive to remain closed to him and not simply open itself at his presence.

Vegeta hated this cowardly approach but he was in no mood to deal with his father's temper straight after arriving home from a mission. His eyes darted across the lightened room and when it found what he was looking for his mouth dropped open in complete shock.

Vegeta forcefully pushed the door open fully. He heard the hinges creak in protest and the sound seemed to ring continuously in his head, like a punch to the skull, at the scene before him.

What looked like his father lay motionless and melted on the crème carpet. Slimy flesh pooled around him. If he was not in his father's room, looking at the distinguishable flame shaped hair separated from the King's scalp, coupled with the unmistakable smell of his father's spilt blood he would have thought that his eyes were deceiving him. Surely his father could not be dead.

He looked up to see a woman hovering uncertainly over his father's lifeless body, her strangely coloured eyes darting to him in panic and fear. He felt a raw spurt of energy erupt from within himself threatening to overcome his senses. He stared dangerously at her promising her endless pain and suffering for just being in the same room when her screeching broke through his angry reverie.

"Oh no. The King, the King …" she wailed.

The Prince winced at her sharp voice but decided to tamp down on his anger and the swirling mass of other unnameable emotions for now. Bending down he lifted a hand towards his father but his fingers hovered hesitantly over the melted man. He watched her watch him from the corner of his eyes, always aware of his surroundings, and his body shook with rage. Could he even tell if his father had a pulse? The King was so disfigured.

Deciding to steel his resolve he placed two fingers where a pulse should have been although he already knew he would feel nothing. He hadn't expected though for his fingers to dip into his father's flesh like it was nothing but goo and he couldn't help the shock that widened his mouth.

"I'll get help." She spoke softly this time and got off her knees heading towards the door.

Bulma could easily identify who the man who had intruded on her was. She would have had to be blind not to see the uncanny resemblance between the Saiyan King and this man. He was Prince Vegeta, oldest son to the Saiyan King.

'_Fuck.' _She inwardly cursed. Of all the people to have to walk in on her while she stood over the dead King, it had to be the King's _son_. The strongest and most feared man on the Planet whose reputation preceded him in the Universe. She gulped nervously knowing that she would have to control her fear and the powerful urge to flee.

She would have to play him as best as she could. However she knew from what she had heard of his intelligence that it would not be an easy feat to accomplish. Swallowing hard to push back the fear she dropped to her knees and wailed for the King. She watched as she had broken through his stunned stupor and he had bent down to examine his father. If she hadn't been so scared or watching from the inside she would have been thrilled to bear witness to this moment. The dead King found by his own son.

As his fingers delved into the soft flesh of his father she had seen the shock pale his face as his sharply defined features twitched from barely contained rage. Seeing this as an ideal opportunity she made to leave on the pretence of getting help.

"I'll get help." She spoke softly as if it were a secret that only they shared knowing that she had to force every ounce of sincerity she could muster into her words. She hoped he believed her and he could sense fake hope that his father could be helped in her voice.

When he made no move to acknowledge her words she stood up again and walked quickly towards the open door hoping he'd think her eager to get help. She was almost at the door and she dragged in an unsteady breath through her mouth. _'One more step.'_ She cajoled her weak legs. 'Yes.'Her eyes growing larger as they focused on the door as if she was trying to keep it from moving away from her. Slowly she reached for the door slender fingers tingling to touch the chance of her escape.

Bulma blinked her strained eyes and within that millisecond the door closed shut furiously, denying her the opportunity to leave the now suffocating room. The loud bang made her gasp in shock. She had no time to stop her momentum and placed her hands out before her to stop herself from crashing into the door. _'No.'_

Before she could reach for the large doorknob his strong hand dug painfully into her upper arm turning her around violently to face him. She flinched as Vegeta pushed her roughly against the wooden door its hardness pressing into her back harshly.

She needed to calm down. She needed to breathe. And fast. Putting on her game face she looked up at him in complete innocence with a touch of fear hoping that the scent would calm him down by letting him know he was more powerful than her.

Vegeta stared at the woman he had pinned against the door. She looked up at him with her large blue eyes filled with confusion and innocence but it was at complete war with the fear that radiated from her. He could smell its tangy, suffocating scent roll of her flesh in waves.

"Who the fuck are you and what did you do to my father?" His voice was eerily soft and calm, its raspy tones making her gulp in fear._'The calm before the storm.' _The thought entered unbidden into the overworking mechanics of her mind.

"I didn't do anything." She denied, her big, blue eyes growing larger. When he lifted a pitch black, winged eyebrow sceptically at her she shook her head vehemently. "I swear, I did nothing." She promised. "We were sitting on the couch when he just started to … started to melt." She explained brokenly as if she couldn't understand what had happened to him.

"Why is there a wig on the floor then?" He questioned, motioning towards the item in question with a nod of his head. The black stitch of short strands of hair seemed completely suspicious in this situation.

"I know Saiyans prefer dark colouring so I wore it to please the King." She thought quickly, the words easily flowing from her lips. Thanking God for her sharp wit.

He took a step back abruptly releasing her from his menacing hold and she sagged against the door feeling a little of her fear from his close proximity ebb away from her tense shoulders. She sighed out the breath she had had no idea she had been holding. Lifting her hands Bulma rubbed at the already bruising skin on her arms. She watched him wearily feeling like he were a bomb who was just about to explode, not sure if she should say something or not. Knowing full well that she could not escape him now that she was firmly in his sight. The calm before the storm.

The words ran through her mind again, refusing to die down even when she chased at it courageously. The room was deadly quite though in her mind she could hear the rolling claps of thunder, she could see the sharp sparks of lighting, she could feel the cold sting of the howling wind and she could almost taste the harsh downpour of the rain that was soon to follow …

"You lie!" He barked loudly, suddenly, his voice deadly as his large fist flew past her face and cracked at the door. She shrieked in fear and shock at his violent though her mind had been preparing her for such a wild act she still reacted to it as if it were completely unexpected. Like the deep, shuddering breath you took in when the heavy showers off the storm first touched your bare skin. Her knees gave way as she slid to the floor. Her palms covered her ears as if trying to shut out the sound of splintering wood and her eyes refused to stay open.

"Look at me." He demanded, this time his voice was softer but there was no mistaking the dangerous edge to it.

Slowly her eyelids fluttered open to gaze at the red face of the Saiyan Prince who had crouched down to her level while she sat uncomfortably on the floor. Before she could comprehend her situation he smirked at her.

It was cold and deadly and she involuntarily shivered in fear. She felt his long fingers curl around her right ankle pulling her leg from underneath her.

'_Fuck.' _Was the only word she could come up with as he lifted her foot towards his face. She felt his fingers squeeze at her tiny ankle as his eyes recognised his father's flesh and blood smeared incriminatingly on her right heel and shoe. _'Holy fuck.'_

The genius's teeth ground together painfully as he continued to squeeze her ankle. If he applied any more pressure there he would crush her bones. His smirk turned into a malicious grin that bared his overly sharp canines to her sight. His eyes glazed over with a maniacal gleam for blood. Her blood. She panted in desperation as her heart began to pound wildly in her chest. Her ears ringing in tandem with the frantic beats. She tried to swallow to ease the fear back into the pits of her churning belly but her mouth was incredibly dry and her throat felt like it was clogged with sand. He came closer towards her, invading her personal space, his face only a hairsbreadth from her own. She felt his warm breath against her clammy skin and she was beginning to suffocate from it.

The blue haired beauty willed her mind to calm down, to focus, to think, to get her out of the dangerous position she found herself in. She scrunched her eyes closed tightly so she could hide his image form her mind. As if not being able to see his deadly face gave her the chance to think better her eyes popped open with a quick plan already formed. The best she could do under these circumstances.

Mustering whatever meager strength she could she bent her knee before kicking back with all of her might, trying to pierce her sharp heel into his eye.

But his reflexes were far too quick for her and his head moved to his right just in time to avoid the attack as he pushed her foot completely over his left shoulder.

"I don't think so." He hissed darkly as he twisted her ankle sharply breaking the bones beneath her flesh cruelly. She cried out in pain and he threw her leg away from him. Her foot lay awkwardly on the ground and she felt like it was not a part of her body.

"You fucking bastard." She cursed violently and was rewarded with a stinging slap across her face. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks as she cried and cursed in pain.

"Shut up." He ordered sharply but she ignored his command and continued to wail. Like a flash of lighting he was bending down before her again, his hands wrapped intimately around her neck, squeezing the life out of her. Bulma's nails dug into Vegeta's hands trying to pry his strong grip away from her throat before he crushed her windpipe. However her efforts were in vain as even though she drew blood from the scratches she made in his flesh she was still no match for him. He just continued to squeeze harder.

Not for the first time in the presence of a blood crazed Saiyan had Bulma asked herself if she had set too low a goal of only killing the Saiyan King for herself. It was a question that she had tried to find an answer to but had always fell short in her current situation.

She could have tried to produce the intricate poison in a lager quantity but she would have never been able to administer it to kill every single Saiyan on the Planet. They weren't all that brainless and would have soon been able to figure out how to stop the poison from spreading even if they couldn't find a cure for it immediately. Mass weapons of destruction couldn't be produced right under their noses as she didn't have the means to acquire the necessary equipment to build such instruments. No, she would have had to be patient and extract her revenge on the one she had hated the most. After all, it was only a matter of time before the Saiyan's met their downfall. Soon they would perish into nothing but monkey space dust …

"That was nothing woman. I am going to break every single bone in your body, burn every inch of your skin and cut of pieces of your flesh every day to eat before shoving you into a tank and healing you. Then I will start the process all over again. Every, single day of your miserable life until I tire of you. So when I give you an order you better fucking obey." He threatened her ominously and she felt dizzy from his revelation and the astounding pain that was attacking her at full force now that her adrenaline was disappearing.

"Maybe if you're a good little whore I'll tire of you quickly." Vegeta smirked wickedly at her and seeing the truth of his words reflect in his eyes she felt anger seep through her being as if drawing from his violent actions and dangerous, dark threats.

"Screw you." Bulma managed to sputter out before spitting in his face. She was only aware of the tightening of his hold on her neck and the growl that escaped from his firm lips as his face scrunched up in displeasure before her world went black.

* * *

The Prince loosened his grip on the weak female before him as he stood up from his crouching position. He wiped away at her spit from his face as it scrunched up in disgust. Looking away from his gloved hands he turned towards the woman lying unconscious on the floor. She was still alive and she had just passed out from shock.

"Weakling." He muttered before frowning again. For someone as weak as her, whose bones he could crush with the flick off his wrist she seemed determined to disrespect and disobey him._'Why was that?'_She had proved incapable of defending herself from him as her futile attempt to kick him had shown him her weaknesses. So how did she manage to kill his father? The King of all Saiyans, the strongest man he had ever known? What secret powers did she have?

He turned reluctantly to look at the gruesome corpse of his father. He frowned in displeasure. If the old fool had been stupid enough to be tricked by a mere woman then he deserved his fate. He frowned irritably trying to force the cold reasoning as truth in hmind. However his father's death would be avenged. He needed answers and he needed them immediately.

If the woman was responsible for his father's death then there would be hell to pay. Not just for her. But if she wasn't then he would have to figure out how best to play this. He couldn't tell his people the entire truth anyway. They were under enough strain as it was with Frieza on their tails.

If word got out about the King's untimely and disgraceful death then it would cause massive deflections amongst the people under their reign. That would be the ideal opportunity for Frieza to strike.

No, he couldn't have that.

"Zorn." He called harshly into his scouter.

"Yes Prince Vegeta?" The King's personal guard answered almost immediately.

"Your presence is requested in my father's chambers immediately." Vegeta demanded.

"I'll be right there." Zorn replied instantly.

Vegeta paced the crème carpets for a while before his eyes wandered back to look at the woman lying awkwardly against the door. He walked over towards her and pulled her away from the doorway, dragging her tiny body across the room by her injured leg, possibly inflicting more damage on the broken bones.

He looked down at her sleeping form. She seemed almost angelic with her blue hair sprawled around her and her beautiful features peaceful in sleep. However there was something about her, a dark aura that conflicted with her outward appearance. This had the Saiyan Prince frowning at her as if she were a puzzle that he couldn't quite solve._ 'Don't worry little one, soon I will know all off your secrets and more. Then I will teach you what happens to those who are foolish enough to disrespect the Prince of all Saiyans.'_

Just as he released her leg there was a knock on the door. Its sound, distorted by the large crater his fist had made in it moments ago.

"Enter." He gave the command that should have come from his father's lips.

Zorn entered the room readying to bow before his King and Prince when he was stopped dead in his tracks. He looked from the dead King to the lifeless woman to the standing Prince in utter bewilderment.

"Zorn, I want you to take my father to the med bay without being noticed by anyone else. Once there, get Bardock to figure out exactly what happened to him. But do all of this without alerting anyone else to what's happening. Do I make myself clear?"

For once the Saiyan guard was completely shell shocked and could not comprehend a direct order from his superior.

"What the hell _is_ happening here?" Zorn asked from complete shock. All his training completely vanishing at the scene he was currently caught up in. He still continued to look back and forth between the three people in the room.

"Pull yourself together soldier, I just gave you a direct order." Vegeta warned.

Knowing not to argue with that tone of voice from his Prince, Zorn decided to comply with Vegeta's wishes and ask questions later. Zorn nodded in acceptance and took in a shaky breath to regain his composure. But as he made his way to what looked like the King's body he found his feet rooted to the spot.

"Is he …" He couldn't seem to finish his sentence. It seemed completely dumb to even think the King was dead when he had just spoken to him mere hours ago. It also seemed incomprehensible and absolutely offensive to the King and Prince to ask such a question that commented on their strength – so he didn't. He couldn't. He wasn't prepared for the answer he received though.

"Yes. The King is dead." Vegeta's voice was flat and void of any emotion at all.

Zorn's head whipped around to stare disbelievingly at his Prince.

"No." he denied ungraciously. "No, this can't be."

"Pull yourself together Zorn. You're an elite warrior and this behaviour is disgraceful to your title. Now do as I say or I will de-tail you and do it my fucking self." Vegeta's voice raised a few octaves at the end of his sentence and Zorn immediately snapped out of his stunned reverie.

It seemed it was a day for Saiyan's to be shocked more times than they had probably been in all their lives.

Zorn nodded before turning towards what was once his King.

Glad he could entrust Zorn with the task of taking care of his father's corpse he picked up the woman by the scruff of her dress and dragged her out of his father's chambers. Glad his father didn't have any guards in his own hallways, viewing it as a shame to need protection Vegeta stopped to hoist the girl over his shoulder. She dangled limply against him and he easily carried her dead weight to his own personal chambers. The smell of his father and her own unique scent floating annoyingly around him. He emulated his father and so he was glad to find his own hallways relatively peaceful at this hour. As he opened his doors he dropped the woman uncaring-ly with a heavy thud onto his own crème carpets in the middle of the room.

"Nappa." He barked sharply into his scouter.

"Yeah Vegeta?" His Saiyan guard answered, his voice muffled, obviously from his mouth being stuffed with food.

Vegeta growled at his incompetence and the omission of being addressed by his title but let it slide. He had more pressing issues to deal with than Nappa's familiarity at times.

"I want you in my chambers immediately. Do you understand? You have approximately sixty seconds to get here. I'm counting." Vegeta warned as he ended communication with Nappa without waiting for the big man's reply.

Nappa knew it had to be very serious an issue to be summoned to the Prince's chambers at this hour and to have the Prince count. Vegeta only used the sixty seconds threat when his patience was not to be tested. Shaking away his thoughts he jumped from his seat and headed towards the King's chambers as fast as he could.

Vegeta paced the carpets in his own chambers as if it helped him keep up with the rapidly fast movement of his excessive thoughts. He was glad Nappa had arrived when he had or the Prince was sure he was about to explode from rage.

As Nappa entered the Prince's room with permission Vegeta turned to look at him sternly. "You're ten seconds late." He growled.

"Err, I'm sorry Prince Vegeta." Nappa apologised as he scratched the back of his bald head.

Vegeta growled but pushed his frustration aside. He knew Nappa all his life and he knew he could trust the buffoon to follow his orders perfectly. "I want you to place this woman in my personal regen tank. Keep her sedated until she has healed. Then I want you to throw her into a cell."

Nappa didn't dare question his Prince's commands when he saw the intense look on Vegeta's face. He couldn't comprehend the bizarre request or who the strange girl was but he would have to wait until Vegeta calmed down to ask his Prince anything at all. That was if he valued his life. And he did. So he wisely kept quiet and nodded in acceptance. After all it wasn't like the Prince never made strange demands before, normally his truthfully over powerful mind always came up with the best strategic plans. Even if they were almost always inconceivable to everyone else, they always seemed to work. But no one before had used the Prince's regeneration tank, no one.

"Good." The Saiyan Prince nodded as he made to leave his room. "Oh and Nappa …" He stood still at the door way, his back still facing his comrade, but his head slightly turned so his sharp profile could be seen. It always had a dangerous effect on people he was trying to intimidate and his personal guard was no different. "Make sure you leave her as is. Throw her in the tank the way she is after setting her broken ankle. When she's healed, throw her as is into her cell. Don't touch her at all after that and don't bother searching her."

That command was stranger than the first but the Saiyan brute called Nappa nodded again, wisely keeping his mouth shut. Whatever Prince Vegeta was up to he would find out sooner or later. He had been Vegeta's personal guard since the Prince had been born. He was one of the very few beings alive who knew exactly how to react in the Prince's presence.

Vegeta grunted before he left the room. "If it isn't strength you possess, woman, let's see exactly what it is that you can do then."

* * *

**Authors Note:**_Is Frieza really scared of the Saiyans? Or is that just Vegeta's arrogant ego? Whatever is going on … there's more to everything and everyone than meets the eye!_

_This chapter was more or less a set up to give everyone more insight so the plot could develop. But I can promise if you're enjoying it this far, it's bound to get more exciting as it goes along._

_I'm really excited about this fic as its dark and I'm truly enjoying the writing. _

_So please don't continue if you're a sensitive reader. I don't want to offend anyone but I do want to write this without holding back …_

_Nova.81_


	3. Chapter 3

**Revenge: An Earthling's Retribution**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Bulma moaned groggily as her eyes reluctantly opened. The room was dark and dank and she was in no doubt as to where she was.

The images of her encounter with the Saiyan King and later her unfortunate encounter with the Prince flashed through her mind in broken bits and pieces. Although she had no problem putting those pieces together. She groaned at her stiff muscles and at being caught red handed over her murder.

She frowned but found her skin felt tight like it couldn't move inside of a face mask. She gingerly got up from the hardness of the cot she had been sleeping on and set her feet upon the ground. She noticed her ankle was not broken anymore. Lifting her hands up she could see the green residue of the regen tanks liquid encrusted all over her body.

"Urgh." She muttered in distaste as she stood up slowly.

She didn't feel dizzy or tired after the disastrous activities of last night, but she did feel sick knowing that Vegeta had kept to his promise of healing her. Bulma sighed. _'Which meant he would definitely keep to his word on torturing me. I need to get out of here as soon as possible. But how?' _She thought.

There were no lights in her cold little prison but she could tell that the fluorescent globes from the outside of her cell dimly lightened the room so she could at least notice her surroundings. It was disgusting, its foul stench seeming to radiate from the concrete walls. To her left she noticed a toilet and small sink. That was it, except for the single steel cot she had awoken from. She looked towards her right and that was when she felt dizzy.

She immediately covered her mouth and turned her back on the sight that made her feel very nauseous. Bulma closed her eyes, breathing deeply to try and regain her composure. It wasn't like she hadn't seen death before but it still affected her when she stumbled upon it without having the time to mentally prepare herself. There was a dead body in the far right hand corner of the cell. It looked like it hadn't been dead for very long as there was still flesh on its bones. However it was long enough for tiny maggots to be feasting upon the dead flesh. There were orange smears of hand prints and dried puddles of the same colour near the body. She could only assume it was the victim's blood.

Not wanting to end up like the victim in the corner of the cell she walked towards the grimy steel bars that kept her caged in. She noticed there was a cell directly opposite hers but it was empty. She reluctantly placed her face against the bars and turned towards the direction of the light. Bulma's head reared away from the metal bars in surprise.

She had come face to face with a large, bald headed man that was growling at her like a big bear. She hadn't expected to see someone guarding the cells as it seemed she was the sole occupant in the dungeons. She had only planned to check out her surroundings to form an escape plan. She had been unprepared to face anyone else. Cursing, she slowly – like a frightened but inquisitive child – looked through the bars once again. This time the giant just raised his eyebrows at her.

"Who are you?" She asked the first question that popped into her brilliant mind. He was shirtless, and his bulging muscles made her gulp in fear. He wore only a pair of black briefs that she thought looked ridiculous on his big built. She also noticed a brown tail wrapped protectively around his large waist.

He didn't respond to her and continued to look at the papers he currently read. Annoyed that he was ignoring her, had Bulma growling almost as good as he had. But she seemed not to garner any response from him.

"Hey you big brute I asked you a question." Bulma yelled. Still he seemed not to acknowledge her presence accept for another growl at her insult. "Maybe he can't speak. That's why he keeps growling at me like an animal." She taunted with derision. Bulma enjoyed saying inappropriate, offensive and sometimes hateful words that could spark a reaction from the hardest of rocks. She enjoyed it immensely. It was her own personal little weapon.

This seemed to annoy the Saiyan more than her other comments had and Bulma hid a smug smile from him.

"For your information I am the Prince's personal Guard. I know you met him last night." The bald guy smiled wickedly at her and Bulma couldn't help the heat that radiated from her face. Not for his lewd comment but for reminding her that she had failed somewhat last night.

"What's your name?" She asked conversationally and she noticed this confused the brute.

"Nappa." He seemed to reply as an afterthought, with a slight shrug of his broad shoulders. She was also almost always capable of having her questions answered.

"Well Nappa, why don't you be a good little guard and let me out. I can handle the Prince on my own. But I would like a shower and some fresh clothes first."

The large Saiyan called Nappa just snorted at her demands and looked back at his papers. However she wasn't always able to get her way in this world.

"Hey, I said let me out." Bulma screeched as she clutched furiously at the steel bars of her prison. "Are you selectively deaf or something? I refuse to be held captive against my will." Her piercing voice growing shriller in the enclosed area of the dungeons.

Before Bulma could say anymore Nappa was already standing before her. His large hands covered her very small ones over the metal bars. Due to his large width he blocked the light from where he had been guarding the cell. She could only dimly make out his shiny head and the flashing whiteness of his eyes in the almost darkened place.

"You don't have any _will_ here you stupid little girl. Now shut up and sit down quietly before I shut you up myself." He threatened sharply as his hands squeezed her fingers tightly in warning. "Do you understand?"

All Bulma could do was nod and bite her tongue to hold back a groan of pain. His face was close to hers and his wretched smelling breath was making it hard for her to breathe freely. He smiled smugly at her as her eyes glazed over with pain. He released her but not before giving her fingers one more painful squeeze.

Bulma immediately stepped away from the cell bars holding her throbbing fingers together. "Brute." She muttered, giving his broad back a withering glare, although she knew he would hear her. Saiyan hearing was better than a human's hearing after all. Though he seemed to ignore her last retort and went back to his guarding post.

Bulma paced the filthy stone floor in her cell trying to think of a way out. She could easily open a capsule and unlock her cell but she was sure Nappa didn't sleep deeply enough for her to get past him. Especially if he was the Prince's guard and had been given the duty to watch over her. She found it quite strange that she hadn't been stripped off her clothes or that her possessions hadn't been removed from her either. Even her heels were still buckled securely around her ankles. They couldn't have been that dumb. But she didn't ponder on it for too long as she felt extremely lucky and grateful to have her precious capsules with her.

She walked over towards the slimy sink and opened the grimy tap. She used the water to try and rinse the tap and basin before lowering her head. She scrubbed at the hardened healing liquids on her face until she felt completely clean. Then she rubbed some water over her head. She wasn't pleased to have to use the dried regen liquid as gel for her hair but she brushed her displeasure away. She pushed her bangs away from her face and went to sit down on the cot. As she braided her waist length hair she tried to find a way to escape in her brilliant mind. Once her long, blue tresses were neatly put together she stood up and resumed her pacing.

She could have really done with a smoke break at that moment, unfortunately though her only pack of cigarettes had been damaged in the regen tank. It was beyond frustrating without the calming properties of nicotine filling her lungs.

As she continued to walk, tapping the side of her chin thoughtfully or biting her right thumb whenever she couldn't work around some plot she realised that the room was suddenly eerily quiet. Nappa's faint snoring had completely stopped. Raising a finely arched eyebrow Bulma walked quietly towards the cell's bars and peered at Nappa. The giant's head seemed to be bowed low over his neck, his chin touching his chest.

"Could he be sleeping that deeply?" She asked herself softly. "Well there's only one way to find out. This may be my only chance." She said to herself as she quickly walked over to the tiny steel cot. She was just about to reach inside the front of her now stiff dress when the unmistakable clink of an opening lock was heard. She swallowed slowly as the bars of her cell creaked open.

Cautiously Bulma turned to face the person who had opened her cell. Apprehension and fear was immediately replaced with a wicked smile at the person standing before her.

'_Maybe there's a way out of here after all.' _

* * *

Zorn eventually sat down on a tall stool after all the frustrated pacing he had been doing in the med bay.

His comrade and head lab technician, Bardock, watched him from the corner of his eyes and sighed. To say he had been shocked to see Zorn come into his lab and order whoever had been inside out, would be an understatement. An even bigger one would have been to see Zorn unravel what he had been holding in his hand.

Zorn had placed a huge piece of crème carpet on an examination table and had opened it to reveal what looked like the Saiyan King. It had taken a good few moments for Bardock to gather his train of thoughts. Long enough for Zorn to eventually knock the younger Saiyan over his head of unruly hair.

Now they were both awaiting the blood test results so they could figure out what had happened to their King. It had been a long night indeed. They were both on edge, exhausted from the tension that coiled around their bodies.

Zorn had been the King's right hand man ever since Bardock could remember. It was uncharacteristic for Saiyan's to show emotion over death but he could tell that this was taking its toll on Zorn. Although Bardock didn't dare recommend rest to Zorn. He was more likely to get blown threw the head than have Zorn leave to rest. Besides, if the Prince really had entrusted his father to Zorn and himself then they needed to work together. The Prince couldn't expect to keep the King's death a secret forever. The Saiyan's respected and valued their King way too much not to notice his sudden disappearance.

The fact that the King was now dead left Zorn and Bardock feeling very susceptible to danger. They weren't a race that scared easily, but with everything that was happening with Frieza lately, deadly apprehension was beginning to snake its way around their chests.

Just then a soft beeping sound broke through the reverie the two Saiyans had been in. None of them had spoken after the initial hour of discussing what could have happened to their King. When they had decided on blood tests they had gone into brooding silences while awaiting the results. Now they turned to look at one another. Apprehension keeping them firmly in their places.

Zorn nodded, his face tense, as he rose first from his seat. Bardock got up from his own seat and went to the fax like machine as Zorn followed him. Bardock waited for the machine to print out the blood test results.

"It seems like he was poisoned." Bardock stated in utter disbelief as his experienced eyes read through the test results.

"How could a poison do something like this to our King without him knowing it?" Zorn asked in equal shock. Saiyan's could smell poison from a mile away. They also weren't that susceptible to the properties of poison. They could have easily registered what was happening to their bodies and sought help before serious damage could be done.

"It's like nothing I've ever seen before!" Bardock exclaimed in slight awe, his scientific genes overwhelmed by the poison's potential. "It reacted to the King's genes like a catalyst and caused an acidic reaction inside of him. Its effects working almost instantaneously. How the King came into contact with it is unknown though." Bardock explained as he walked over towards the deceased body. By now the King's body was not soft as goo anymore but had somewhat hardened itself.

The two Saiyans stood staring at their King in disbelief when they heard footsteps approaching them. They had been so engrossed in what they had uncovered about their King's death that they had not heard anyone come in.

"I asked for discretion and yet you two were not even aware of my presence in the room." Prince Vegeta berated as his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

Zorn and Bardock bowed to their Prince and profusely apologised.

Vegeta looked towards his father's dead body with seemingly detached eyes. After he had arranged for his father and the woman to be taken care of he had gone to a mountainous area to blow of some steam. He stood at the top of a rock formation for hours, just staring out into the deep velvet skies of his home Planet. To a passer-by he would have seemed to just be in a meditative trance of training. Inside though, his anger had been a raging inferno.

Eventually he had let it all out. His anger had overpowered him, causing him to power up to heights he hadn't known he was capable of. He was in uncharted territory; though he welcomed the pain that came from his body not being able to withstand such power. His skin had sizzled when he had thought about finding his father dead, his insides burning from the strong heat he radiated and he felt weak. Weak for feeling such a sense of loss over his father's untimely death.

But the man had been his father and a good King. He was respected amongst all his people and he instilled fear in every other being he came across. Vegeta had learned so much from his father. He had admired him and aspired to be just like him.

Now the King was gone. Although Vegeta had long since surpassed his father in power he hadn't quite felt ready to claim the throne. He was only twenty-five after all. He didn't enjoy business politics and planetary meetings. He craved battle and lusted for blood. He enjoyed taking what he wanted using brute strength. Not to say he couldn't do the things his father did but he had always preferred not to do it or let his younger brother, who could control his temper better, handle it.

Vegeta's mind wandered towards his younger brother. Tarble had only recently turned eighteen and Vegeta knew he would not handle the news very well. He was one of the few Saiyans alive who related better to their emotional attributes. It was sickening and Vegeta did not have time to indulge his brother's weaknesses, nor did the late King. So Tarble was regularly sent off Planet to use words where fists would not work. Yet even while knowing this, the youngest Prince still looked upon his kin with unashamed adoration in his dark eyes, always wanting to please them. Something that secretively made his father and brother _care_ for him.

After Vegeta had become exhausted from powering up and his ki had been lowered down to normal he had sat atop that cliff and did something he had never done before. He had cried. He had mourned his father's death as if he were on the brink of death himself. The moment he felt the alien wetness touch his cheeks he felt it burn his skin. He refused to mourn his father's death in such a disrespectful way. No, he would seek revenge and that was how he would pay his last respects to his father.

"Who was the whore with my father last night?" Vegeta asked Zorn. He had overheard Bardock explain what had happened to his father. He required no more information on the matter.

"She was a common place whore sent from Nion's house." Zorn answered. The King rarely indulged in woman but when he did he always went to Nion. She had the best females from across the galaxy and she always ensured her girls were safe." _'Safe.'_ Zorn's eyes widened as he turned to look at his King and the dead man's decomposed mouth.

Apparently Bardock had come to the same conclusion as Zorn and they both turned towards the Prince.

Vegeta nodded at their silent conclusions. "Any idea why he hadn't contacted you using telepathy?" Vegeta asked Zorn.

"I'm not sure my Prince." Zorn frowned at the question.

"He probably could not manage it once the poison started to settle in. His mind was most likely the first to be affected." Bardock explained logically. "Judging by this, she obviously knew a lot about Saiyans to have something that worked this well."

"Leave the girl to me." Vegeta told Zorn and Bardock. "For now, keep father preserved until I've come up with a plan. Zorn, bring Nion to me immediately." The young Prince commanded. "Speak of this to no one!" Vegeta warned as he walked regally out of the med bay.

The Saiyans nodded at their orders as they watched Vegeta's red cape flutter lightly behind him.

"Unbelievable." Bardock muttered as he looked at the dead King.

"Even so, that girl is going to have hell to pay." Zorn cursed and all Bardock could do was nod.

* * *

"Well, well, if it isn't the strong Saiyan warrior Kakarot." Bulma smiled sweetly as she looked at the man before her. She saw him frown at her condescending tone but he made no attempt to speak to her as his eyes roved over her body. "Well are you just going to stand there like a statue or was there something that you needed?" She asked as she crossed her arms defensively across her chest.

"What are you doing here Bulma?" The Saiyan in her cell asked, his frown still lined on his forehead.

He had grown a lot since she had last seen him. It seemed like he had just shot up. He was no longer smaller than her or her height. Now _she_ was looking up at _him_. She tried to hide a genuine smile at that. He had also grown very handsomely since she had last seen him. He seemed more mature than his nineteen years but life could do that to people. Even to a Saiyan.

"Oh I guess I wasn't very … _satisfying_." Bulma said uncaringly as she waved her hand nonchalantly through the air, as if swatting away a fly.

Kakarot raised his eyebrows at her indifference and he didn't know what to make of it. The blue haired woman had a knack of getting herself into trouble. But when Kakarot, who had been on guard duty, had seen his Prince carry the woman into his personal chambers he had known something was wrong. Especially at her seemingly lifeless body and the unmistakable scent of blood that lingered in the hallways. He couldn't understand the situation so he had decided to see what the Prince was up to. Vegeta had called Nappa into his chambers and left. After hours of stake out in the hallways he had seen Nappa carry a dripping wet Bulma towards the dungeons.

"I thought you didn't work that way anymore?" Kakarot asked her.

Bulma shrugged non-committedly. "A girl has needs to take care of."

"What did you say to the Prince that made him place you in a cell under Nappa's watch and not kill you?" The tall Saiyan inquired.

'_My, my, aren't we nosy today.'_ Bulma thought as she hid a devious smile before looking up at Kakarot. "The Prince is a pig, something about beating me up before throwing me in a regen tank and starting the process all over again. All because I refused to fuck him." Bulma looked up at Kakarot with her big blue eyes, trying very much to play on his conscience. She knew he had one. She had seen it. She omitted the minor details of being caught by the Prince for killing the King. "He's obsessed with me." Bulma lied through her pearly, white teeth.

Kakarot frowned deeply. He knew the Prince was not one to cross. He had never officially met the man before but he had heard stories from his father and older brother. The man was ruthless and powerful. He did not bear weaklings easily and his infamous temper was shorter than his tail. Or his height as Raditz had once joked. However the Prince never did anything without a good reason, Bardock had warned them. Despite the Prince's faults, he was held in very high esteem amongst all Saiyans. His immense strength was unrivaled. If the Prince had gone to such lengths to keep Bulma, then he couldn't interfere. Although for some reason he didn't like the idea of the Prince hurting Bulma. His conscience wouldn't let him.

Seeing the war Kakarot was fighting within himself, Bulma walked closer towards him. He looked down at her as she placed a small palm on his armored chest. "It's awful Kakarot." She spoke softly. She wasn't lying, Vegeta was horrible. She dredged up some bitter memories from her past and allowed it to enter the forefront of her mind. When her eyes began to blur with tears she looked up at him. She saw him gulp at her glassy eyes filled with unshed tears and inwardly smiled. "Please help me." She begged now holding both his arms and hanging back slightly to look at him. "Please."

Kakarot shook his head. "I'm sorry Bulma. I had to knock Nappa out just to come see you. He'll awaken soon and I must go. Even if I did let you leave now, you wouldn't get far. The Prince will not rest until he finds you if he is obsessed with you." The Prince was known to be very territorial after all.

Bulma let go of him and turned her back on him.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"No you're not. This is all your fault." She shrieked at him as she turned around to face him again. All traces of her sadness gone, replaced by bitter anger and accusation. "Why did you?"

She asked the one question that had plagued her for eight long years now. Why had he brought her here that day on Earth? He had only been a boy. Eleven years old at the time. But his strength was unrivaled. Her Planet had been purged by a group of boys his age led by one adult. She thought it sick and cruel but that was before she came to learn of Saiyan culture. She turned to look at him and he frowned in confusion.

"Never mind. Don't answer that." She shook her head at him. Maybe she didn't want to know the answer after all. If Kakarot had said he had only saved her because of orders to gather up all the pretty ladies she would feel like she had lost a friend. And she didn't have many of those now. She sighed. How could she have ended up in this mess? She was fond of Kakarot. She would be lying if she said she wasn't. But that was only because of the small kindness he had shown her that day. He could have killed her.

_Bulma was panting from all the running she had done, her hair was starting to loosen from its braided hold on the top of her head. She sagged against a tree to try and catch her breath, her hand on her heaving chest, all the while her eyes darting around the forest she was hiding in. She had fled West City when she had arrived home to find her City in ruins and her beloved home nothing but a pile of rubble. She couldn't search for her parents in all the debris that had once been a beautiful dome shaped mansion, but she knew. She knew they were dead._

_She had heard about the alien attack that had rocked South City while on a little excursion of hers and she knew she would have to return home. The destruction of buildings and murders of people were escalating. Bulma had watched as someone who looked exactly like one of them had appeared on the big screen outside of North City. He had claimed to be a Saiyan from another Planet and told them he would be purging Earth. There hadn't been anyone strong enough to stop him. People tried to flee, but in the end, there was no place you could go to. You could run, but you couldn't hide. Not in the wake of destruction._

_After leaving West City, to a more secluded area in the mountains, Bulma had sought to hide herself from the Saiyans. While there, she had witnessed the aliens at work with her own eyes. The images would haunt her forever._

_As she stood against the tree her eyes had landed on a space pod not far from her. She stared at the beacon of hope for a few moments before running towards it. She wiped furiously at the tears that hadn't stopped streaming down her face since seeing the heartless Saiyans at work.  
_

_Bulma spent a while in the pod trying to decipher the alien technology so she could escape the danger she was in. Just as she was making good progress she saw a little boy shuffle through the pod. He was hurt, the side of his neck revealing a ripped gash that drooled blood down his bare chest. _

_All thoughts of escape flew from her mind as bright blue eyes met completely black ones. She ran to his side and picked him up. She didn't notice the confused look he gave her. He was tiny and had the wildest black hair she had ever seen. He was adorable. She had found some medical supplies on the space pod and patched the boy up. She had been so focused on his neck injury that she did not notice the tail that was wrapped protectively around his waist. That was until she scanned his tiny yet oddly muscular body for any other injuries._

_Bulma shrieked and moved away from the alien boy she now recognised as a Saiyan. She pleaded with him to spare her life but he had just ignored her cries. He calmly walked towards her, at surprising ease with his injury, and picked her up. All the while his black eyes staring into her startling blue ones, entrapping her gaze, sparking some unidentifiable bond between them. She had tried to scratch, bite and kick her way out of his hold but even with being hurt, he had proved to be far too strong for her._

"Bulma." Kakarot's soft voice broke through her thoughts and she turned her back on him.

Kakarot could easily see that she was remembering the first time they had met through her beautiful unguarded eyes. He remembered it well too. An alien girl showing him the first sight of kindness; something he had never known before. His injury had not been life threatening as she had babbled on about when she had been bandaging him but she didn't know that. He had been caught off guard by a human who had slashed a blade above his collar bone and his brother had told him to go to his pod and get cleaned up as they had almost been done purging the City.

She hadn't known though. She sure talked much. But he didn't mind. Her soft hands, gorgeous eyes and sweet voice had been unnaturally calming to him. She had soothed him in ways he had never experienced before and he found her an odd creature. Beautiful and nothing like the people he came across on missions. Nothing like his own people even. He assumed if he had known his mother, she would have had the same effect on him as Bulma had.

Bulma hadn't looked at him with fear in her eyes that day; she hadn't looked at him as if he were a monster. She had held him like the eleven year old brat he had been. He had never felt so confused in his life and he wanted to escape with her like she told him they would. But he remembered sighing at his thoughts, wondering where they had sprouted from. He was a third class Saiyan warrior trying to impress his elder brother and father. He had a duty to his King and Planet. These things were drilled into him from the time he had been an infant. He was who he was. He couldn't turn his back on his heritage.

But he knew then that he would take the beautiful, blue haired lady with him. Maybe one day he would be able to repay the act of kindness she had bestowed upon him.

Bulma closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to banish the memories of an eleven year old Kakarot from her mind. She knew what she had to do now. It was her only way out. She steeled her resolve and opened blank eyes to turn around and stare at him. _'I have no choice.' _

"I'm sorry too Kakarot." She told him and when he only looked more perplexed at the direction the conversation was heading in Bulma resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him. "If you don't help me escape then I'll have no choice but to tell the Prince about your little secret." She gave him a fake smile and shrugged easily.

She saw his beetle black eyes widen at her words and she had to bite her tongue. She saw hurt flash in his eyes before he masked it. "You wouldn't." He dared her.

No, she wouldn't. However she wouldn't let him call her bluff either. She laughed harshly. It was cold and empty. Just like her. "Oh, if it meant getting you to help me or Vegeta to let me go … I would." She assured him staring right into his eyes so he could see how serious she was.

His eyes narrowed and he growled at her. "That was a long time ago. It didn't hurt anyone." He defended.

"It was." Bulma agreed while studying her nails, in complete control of the situation. "But it did happen. And how do you think your wonderful Prince would feel when he hears he has a traitor amongst his midst? He doesn't seem like the forgiving type to me." Bulma chuckled blandly as she looked away from her nails and stared menacingly at Kakarot.

"It was a mistake. I didn't mean for it to happen. And I couldn't take it back. I didn't have a choice. I ended it as soon as I could. You know that. You were there." He told her.

She nodded. She had been there three years ago and she had helped him. However her reasons had been purely selfish at the time. She held some sort of familiarity of fondness for the young Saiyan but she had only helped him because what he had been doing was something she herself was working towards. Indirectly and unknowingly, he had given her a brilliant start.

"It doesn't matter. You still aligned yourself with them. What do you think would happen when the Prince finds out?" She tapped a finger against her cheek, raising an eyebrow in fake consideration of her question. "What about your father and brother?" She delivered her final blow, her startling blue eyes focused sharply on him.

His eyes widened in disbelief at the woman before him. She seemed to be a completely different person from the one who had helped him eight years ago. His eyes narrowed, assessing her stance on the matter at hand. Seeing she was not backing down from his intense stare his fisted hands dropped loosely to his sides, defeated. "Nappa won't be unconscious for much longer." He told her stiffly before he left to walk out the cell again.

"Lock the cell gate would you Kakarot." She told him coldly. He didn't question her actions but he knew she was trying to protect him even with her blackmail and cold voice. In her own way. He knew she wasn't as evil as she believed herself to be but he also knew that she really was bad. Very bad. However, he did owe her, he owed her twice now and if this meant repaying his debt then he would do as she asked.

"Why?" She asked again. Softer this time, his Saiyan hearing alone picking up the soft words muffled by the clang of the cell being locked again.

He sighed and looked back at her through the metal bars. "You really don't know do you?" He asked her solemnly.

She just shook her head sadly before she lifted her blue eyes towards him. Either way she had lost her friend today. She had threatened him in the worst way possible. Bulma was too curious not to ask again. Especially if it were the last time she saw him.

"You may not know this but when I walked into my brother's pod that day I had seen you interfering with the control panel. You didn't have a remote for the Saiyan pod but somehow you had managed to rig an alien ship into your own language so you could fly off in it."

Bulma gasped. She remembered it all as if it had happened yesterday. "Why didn't you just let me go?" She demanded furiously.

"I couldn't. There's always scouts in the Planet's atmosphere. Earth was no different. If you couldn't verify your identity while leaving Earth, they would have killed you. Their job is to be on the lookout for escapees." He explained.

"So you just let me be a whore?" She spat indignantly. Even though she always felt grateful he hadn't just killed her.

"No." He shook his head in wild denial. "Vegeta-sei is renowned for being involved in the Peoples Trade as well as the Planet Trade. Didn't you wonder where all the other captured Earthlings had been sent to?"

She shook her head again. She hadn't really remembered much about the journey from Earth to Vegeta-sei, she had blocked it out. He sighed and continued. "Well we always keep the best for ourselves before sending of the rest to be sold. I thought you'd show everyone how smart you were and they'd take you to the labs. I thought my father could keep an eye on you while there." He shrugged as if such thoughts from a Saiyan were completely normal. Bulma was beginning to think that Kakarot was abnormal.

However it wasn't the case here. There had been an instantaneous, inexplicable bond that had been formed between them that faithful day on Earth. It was one of those things you could never truly explain. One of those things that were just meant to be. Something that would start a chain reaction for years still to come.

Bulma felt the guilt at blackmailing him start to rise like bitter vomit at the back of her throat. She tried to swallow it back. She was an expert at reading people and she saw the truth in Kakarot's eyes and heard the honesty in his words. She sighed.

"I hadn't seen you until three years ago. I sought you out. But I saw you were living relatively happy with Cabba, so I left."

At hearing that Bulma felt all her guilt at her actions fade away. No one could call her life with Cabba happy. True the stupid Saiyan had been very infatuated with her but he was no better than the rest. He would beat her every day for the simplest of things she did or _didn't_ do. He was sick. Although she had managed to use him enough, each day was as miserable as the days before. The only thing that kept her there was her need for security on the Planet, her need for revenge and the need to be kept away from that damn brothel. She sighed for what felt like the millionth time today and nodded. "Thank you." She said.

Kakarot nodded and walked away from the locked cell.

"Good bye Kakarot." Bulma whispered when he had left completely. Unbeknown to her the Saiyan warrior had uttered the very same words as he departed.

"Right, time for action Bulma." She told herself as she pulled out a capsule from under her full bosom. Popping it open she pulled out her small hand tool. Clicking it open she slowly but efficiently unlocked her cell doors. She noticed Nappa seemed not to have moved from his lifeless position, telling her that he was still unconscious. She crept slowly towards the exit of the cell. As she passed Nappa she couldn't resist a little bit of mischief as she smiled wickedly at the huge Saiyan.

"All done." She said, looking proudly at the unconscious Saiyan. Then she made her way towards the stairs of the dungeon. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Bulma approached the bend in the staircase and could see light filtering from the Palace above her. She smiled broadly and picked up her pace. As she rounded the corner a flash of red made her gasp and she missed a step. She would have fell down the flight of stairs if a strong hand hadn't held at her wrist of a flailing hand. She was roughly pulled steady onto her feet and she thanked the Gods that she hadn't fallen down all those stairs. She would have surely died.

"Going somewhere?" A sarcastic voice drawled out as Bulma was pulled against an armored chest, her tiny palms gripping the shoulder metal to steady herself. She looked up almost timidly before her eyes widened in alarm. He smirked evilly at her panic stricken face and she felt her breath catch in her throat as she was sure her heart had stopped beating in her chest. "And here I thought we were just getting to know each other better."

Bulma gulped loudly at the raspy voice that whispered darkly against her skin. _'Then again, falling down a pile of stairs and dying would be better than being caught alive in the Saiyan Prince's arms …'_


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** _A speedy update for all those who excitedly reviewed the last chapter and couldn't wait for the BV interaction. And because I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Thanks guys, your'll sure do know how to make a girl feel special! I really hope it meets up to expectations._

_But please remember this isn't you average Bulma and Vegeta fall in love and live happily ever after story._

**WARNINGS: TORTURE, BLOOD AND BAD LANGUAGE!**

* * *

**Revenge: An Earthling's Retribution**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Bulma's hands tried to grip the shiny metal of his shoulder armor but the material was slippery beneath her fingers. Her tiny feet were balancing precariously on the edge of a single stair, the sharp stone digging into her inner sole. Having kicked off her heels to run faster her feet were now completely bare.

As a savage smirk tilted the corner of his lips Vegeta removed her hands from his shoulders. Then he simply let her go. Her blue eyes widened as she fell back. Fortunately for her though there was no momentum in her fall and she hit a few steps hard before she was stilled. It didn't lesson the pain of bones on stone though. If anything she could have sworn her skull was fractured.

Bulma lay awkwardly upon three large steps and she was grateful for their width or she would have surely continued to tumble down the pile of stairs until she reached the bottom of the dungeon.

Vegeta came into her line of vision as he walked down a step or two to reach her. His white boots effortlessly carrying him towards her. His red cape moved behind him as he made his descent, all the while the blackest of black eyes she had ever seen bore into her.

He picked at her blue braid that dangled over the edge of a step and began to pull her body down the remainder of the stairs. Rock hard stone ruthlessly scraped at her skin while her feet and ankles knocked painfully against the hardness of the brick. At first she tried to pull back her hair from his grasp but his hold on the braid was secure. It only heightened the pain of her hair being tugged from her scalp. Her hands tried to hold onto something but the flatness of the steps made her attempts futile. She only managed to make her fingers burn from the scraping friction between flesh and stone.

Bulma's back arched whenever her spine hit against the sharp edge of a step and she cried out in pain. It was simply cruel being dragged down a flight of stairs by your hair. Then she noticed a treacherous smirk playing on his lips and she came to realise that the Prince was taking delight in causing her suffering. Instantly her protective barriers and walls of pride and determination were erected against his torture.

'_I will not give him the satisfaction of hearing my pain. Witnessing my torment is more than enough for this disgusting being. Damn my traitorous heart for not making Kakarot stay with me until I was safely out of the Castle.' _

In truth Bulma believed herself capable of escaping the Castle of Vegeta-sei as long as she could get past Nappa. She probably knew more about the fortress than the Saiyan Prince himself. After all she had planned her revenge for years now. She hadn't planned getting caught red handed though but she was planning on escaping without being noticed. She knew all she had to do was get away from Nappa and out of the dungeons without him tailing her.

When Kakarot had promised her Nappa would remain unconscious she had asked him to lock her cell and didn't stop him from leaving. _'Urgh, how dumb could I have been.'_ She inwardly berated herself.

If Kakarot were there to help her then he could have distracted Vegeta long enough for her to escape. But no, she had to talk herself into letting Kakarot leave because she feared for his safety. It was laughable certainly. He could have taken care of himself better than she could. And here she was facing being dragged down hard, cold, unrelenting stairs and wicked Saiyan Princes.

Years of hardening her heart against emotion and one conversation with a Saiyan dissolved all her own wickedness and she was unable to cover gaping holes in her plans. Damn her emotions. It would be the death of her if she continued to let it rule her. It was a weakness she could not afford now. She should have insisted Kakarot stayed. His death would have been for the greater good. After all, how many had she killed now for her "greater good" cause?

Thirty-seven. Yes, Bulma had been unknowingly counting each step as Vegeta ruthlessly pulled her back into the dungeons.

Upon reaching the pits beneath the Castle he ventured towards the still unconscious Nappa and stood before the huge guard. Vegeta pulled at her braid, lifting her up so she had no choice but to scramble to her knees. Her head throbbed with a cracking intensity, patches of her skin rubbed raw and she felt years of hatred swell in her heart until it threatened to consume her. Vegeta was trailing her around like a mutt on a leash. Demeaning, disgraceful and detestable were only some of the hundreds of words that continued to fuel her anger. Her hands were balled into tight fists at her side and she was glad her nails were short or they would no doubt be drawing blood from her palms.

She looked from Nappa to Vegeta to see the Prince's left eye twitch in irritation at the sight before him. He obviously didn't have a sense of humour; after all she thought it was quite funny.

She watched as a black spandex covered leg lifted and kicked at the chair that Nappa sat upon. The wood tumbled over and Nappa's beefy hands and legs thrashed wildly as he floundered in mid fall before he fell backwards onto the ground. His chair splintered into spikes of brokenness. Bulma instinctively grabbed the Prince's leg and ducked behind him to avoid being smacked by Nappa's limbs or pieces of wood. He however jerked his leg with annoyance causing her to release his muscular calf.

"Err …" Nappa trailed off as he jumped to his feet in shock and looked around him. Bulma was surprised he hadn't caused a crater from his jump considering his bulky size.

Through all her agonizing pain she couldn't help but crack a tiny smile at Nappa. An action that did not go unnoticed by the ever watchful Saiyan Prince, Vegeta.

Nappa's eyelids were coloured with a deep red coloured lipstick that made it seem like he was wearing eye shadow with his eyes open. His cheeks had round circles drawn on them and his lips were covered haphazardly with the same colour. On his large forehead two upside down V's were drawn from above his eyes towards his bald head. He resembled a very ugly lady devil.

As Nappa's brain finally seemed to catch up with his surroundings he scratched the back of his bald head. When he heard Vegeta growl out however his eyes nervously darted from her to Vegeta.

"You imbecile." Vegeta ground out. "While you were dozing on the job the wench here had broken through her cell and was making her way up the stairwell." Vegeta informed Nappa. Vegeta wasn't screaming and so she guessed he was controlling his voice through his gritted teeth.

Nappa's eyes widened before he bowed his head in shame and his shoulders slumped loosely around him. "Aww, I'm sorry Prince Vegeta."

This only made the Prince growl louder and more menacingly before he jerked his head towards the side. "Get out of here now. I will deal with you later." Vegeta ordered.

Nappa nodded before giving Bulma a menacing glare as if it were her fault he was in trouble with the Prince. At this Bulma calmly winked at him which earned her a vicious growl. _'Same to you buddy.' _Her snarky self thought.

"Oh and Nappa." Vegeta called to the larger Saiyan as he made his way out of the dungeons. "Do look at a mirror when you're in your quarters won't you." Having to walk past any Saiyan with that face would be punishment enough. For now.

Bulma's momentary moment of happiness popped like a fragile bubble in the wind as the Prince released her hair and turned to face her. His eyes narrowed at her and she couldn't help but gulp in fear. She was rooted to the spot by his terrifying glare and she suddenly felt claustrophobic, alone with the Saiyan Prince, in the watch post of the dungeons. She almost wanted to call out to Nappa as Vegeta stared at her.

"Get up." He demanded and she obeyed without hesitation. After all being on her feet was better than being on her knees.

However the moment Vegeta took a step towards her she instinctively stepped back. He didn't stop though, he continued to walk towards her as she moved away from him. His coal black eyes seeming to spark from something she couldn't quite read. His face was void of all emotion, his aristocratic features at ease, not even a frown or scowl on his handsome face. As if he were entirely in his element.

Like an experienced predator he continued his path towards her until Bulma could go no further. Her back came into contact with the solidity of a wall. Its coldness seeming to seep through her dress reminding her of her mortality. Telling her there was no way out. Beckoning her to become one with it or suffer from the rock that was hurtling towards her.

She tried her damn-dest to melt into the hard stone but as Vegeta stopped right in front of her she knew the only way out was _through_ the Saiyan Prince. A hand shot out faster than her eyes could register and gripped the back of her head. His strong fingers dug into her skull and she was sure they would make holes into her bones.

She desperately tried to shake her head from his hold but his fingers only tightened and her head began to throb painfully. She felt the tip of his sharp nose touch her cheek first and she froze. All thoughts of struggling ceased temporarily as her mind raced to try and analyse his actions.

Vegeta's nose trailed up the side of her cheek, towards her temple before lowering to rest against her cheek once again. His nostrils flared as he sniffed her skin and her eyes closed of their own accord. She felt his nose move away from her skin only to have a hot trail of moisture placed against her face. Her eyes shot open to see his dark eyes watching her intensely, curiously, while his thick tongue licked at her skin. Tasting, savouring, making her shiver in fear.

His head drew back slowly before he brought his lips towards her earlobe. His hot breath spiralled into her ear and her shoulder automatically lifted as if to shield her from his words. Or the press of his firm lips against her lobe. But his head remained firmly in place.

"You taste of fine skin, flowing blood and ample flesh." He breathed into her ear. His voice husky as if whispering erotic promises into her lobe and there was a sharp intake of breath from her.

His head moved away from her again so he could look at her and she wanted to punch him in his arrogant looking face. However she knew from experience his reflexes were far too quick for her. Instead she felt her hands clutching at his biceps. She looked down uncertainly and sure enough her hands were holding his arms as if she were relying upon him for strength. She frowned at her hands before releasing him and they balled into tight fists at her sides. He smirked at her reaction and his eyes lowered towards her lips.

The hand that wasn't holding her head firmly in place lifted to cup her chin. His gloved thumb caressed her skin before it stroked her lower lip. She frowned at him and he tugged at her lip until the pinkness inside and her bottom teeth were revealed to his onyx eyes.

"Interesting." She heard him murmur as if they weren't in the same room together let alone their bodies pressed intimately against one another.

Before she could make sense of his strange behaviour his mouth descended upon hers. His lips were firm and sensual, the kiss harsh and demanding like the man himself. She tried to move her head away from him but his hold on her was inescapable. Her clenched fists found their way between them and she tried to push at his chest but he did not even budge.

Instead his hot tongue dove past her lips forcefully. She couldn't stop him and he pried her teeth apart to access the cavern of her mouth. Her mind starting to panic, Bulma did the only thing she could. She bit down on his tongue as it glided around her mouth as if feasting on her flesh.

His head jerked back and he hissed slightly. But she doubted it was from pain as she was sure she hadn't bitten hard enough to draw blood. Well if he ever tried to kiss her again then she would make sure she bit of his tongue from his mouth. She venomously spat in his face.

Expecting him to attack her she saw only a feral smirk grace his lips as his free hand wiped at his face. He was beginning to become far too confusing for Bulma's already whirring mind to solve.

"I can play wild if you like." He taunted and her eyes widened at his words. This time she began to flay wildly in his arms trying to remove herself from his clutches. But it was of no use. As much as she struggled she couldn't break free from his inexorable hold.

Vegeta's hands shackled her wrists above her head and his strong legs held her own in between his. The only thing that seemed to be moving freely was her blue head. Thrashing from side to side in denial of his offer.

"Get away from me you bastard." She shrieked and he growled at her.

"I think I preferred you better when that pretty little mouth of yours was quite. Or pressed beneath my own." He told her lewdly and she made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat. "Enough."

One word. It wasn't screamed or demanded it was just said in an oddly calmed voice that defied their situation and Bulma couldn't help but remain still at his tone. He was only a head taller than her, sans his spikey hair, but somehow she felt as if he were towering over her. She doubted even Nappa would have been this intimidating. But she could sense the Saiyan Prince had an aura about him that radiated power and could only command fear and earn submission.

Once her pointless struggling was subdued she glared daggers at him. Her deep blue eyes almost turning an icy shade of hatred.

"Now tell me where it is?" He demanded and she frowned in confusion at him. Nothing he was saying or doing was making any sort of sense to her.

"I don't know what you're talking about you prick. You're crazy." Bulma told him boldly and truthfully.

Sensing her confusion but becoming frustrated none the less he growled at her. "The poison you whore. Where is it?"

At those words all his actions began to make sense to her. He was testing her for poison and she desperately wished she had been wearing some at the moment their lips had touched or that she had even had some with her at present. So he was still on about his father's death and he seemed to have figured out more about the cause.

"I don't know what you're talking about." This time she outright denied his accusations and shrugged at him.

"Oh you don't, do you. Well maybe we can jog your memory somehow." He smirked evilly at her and she was beginning to intensely dislike that characteristic about him. "After all, Kakarot did mention you were a great scientist of some sort."

Her eyes widened at his words and she feared of how much Vegeta had heard of Kakarot and her conversation. "How did you …" she trailed off.

He smirked arrogantly at her and she wanted to wipe it off his face. "I'll answer you and then you will answer me." He told her. "A game shall we say?"

She narrowed her eyes at him but nodded reluctantly after a few moments of silence. After all, she was a world class liar.

"I tried contacting Nappa but he didn't answer. Fortunately for me the buffoon always has the communication link on his scouter open to my link." Vegeta told her.

"But Nappa wasn't wearing a scouter." Bulma contradicted. Nor was Kakarot for that matter. Or Vegeta.

"Just because he wasn't wearing one doesn't mean he didn't have one on him." He explained as if she were a two year old who was having difficulty understanding a simple concept. "I was able to pick up quite a bit on how Kakarot first met you. Earth wasn't it." He taunted. "Such a worthless backwater Planet. It's better off being purged."

"Screw you." She cursed loudly.

"I don't do whores. Not like that third class." He told her coldly.

"Your father did." She shot back without thinking. He looked so much alike to the hateful Saiyan King. But there was something different about the Prince. It wasn't the absence of facial hair, lack of height on the Prince's part or the black of his eyes and hair that burned differently from his father's deep reddish brown colour. No, it was something more that defined him as an individual. What was it?

"To his downfall." Vegeta growled at her. "Now tell me how you managed to kill the old man before I kill you myself."

Bulma knew it wasn't an idle threat. He would most definitely kill her without blinking an eye. But she was grateful he obviously hadn't heard enough of her conversation with Kakarot to know that he had helped her somewhat in escaping. He was underestimating her because she was a woman. Something she could definitely use to her advantage. The Saiyans had made their biggest mistake by underestimating her. Her weakness became her strength, her gender became her armor, and her intelligence had always been her greatest weapon.

"I told you I don't know. One minute we were sitting down and then the next he was keeling over and dying." The moment he looked at her she knew he could tell she was lying. In fact she somehow knew he'd know the moment he had asked her the question. After his little taste test on her it was obvious he knew she had killed the damn King.

"Do not lie to me woman." He warned as his hands tightened on her wrists.

"How do you know I'm lying?" She challenged bravely and he bared his teeth at her. She wondered if like all snarling dogs on Earth if Vegeta's bark was bigger than his bite. This time it was Bulma who turned a devilish smirk on Vegeta. She would not let him control this situation no matter how much on the back foot she was. She refused.

At seeing this he stopped growling at her and relaxed his face and hold on her; though she could see his left eye still twitched irritably. "Woman it's all in those ridiculous eyes of yours."

Wanting to play with him a little for all the bruises she had on her body from the trek down the stairs she raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? And what do my eyes tell you Vegeta?" She asked seductively, turning charming blue eyes upon him.

"You dare speak my name you vile creature. It is not fit to pass your filthy lips or leave your disgusting tongue." He condemned.

Anger so sharp and fast; sparked through her like a live current was ignited by his words and she was surprised it hadn't electrocuted him. But it was there, crackling in the air between them, alive and palpable. She hated that he thought himself better than her. Even if he was the Prince of all Saiyans. They were all nothing but monkeys after all. "It wasn't very disgusting when you had your tongue stuck down my throat a minute ago you creep." She argued with him childishly.

She could have sworn she saw his eyes roll at her words but it must have been a trick of her mind. "I don't have time for you games or petty feminine ego woman. Right now your eyes spark anger and hatred at me, turning almost glacial. A moment ago you tried to mask all emotion and they remained naturally deep blue. But I could see them enlargen and almost lose their colour into blackness when fear enters you're pathetic body. In the midst of confusion they grow stormy as if unsure of being blue or a deep purple. Quite fascinating." He remarked, sounding almost bored with his assessment of her feelings. "Maybe I could dig them out later and embed them in my father's sarcophagus."

It wasn't his gruesome comment that had Bulma gasping but rather how well he had broken through her well placed mask by just looking into her eyes. No one in all her life had been able to read her eyes so accurately. She lowered her lids to hide from him. He wasn't having any of it though.

"I grow tired of this childish game." He told her before he released her. "If you aren't willing to speak when I ask you nicely then a little … _persuasion _is in order."

Her eyes immediately lifted to stare into his but she could not for the life of her figure him out. Before she could ask he stepped away from her. That wasn't good. She sank down a little not realising before that Vegeta's strength had been holding her slightly up against the wall. He lifted his right hand and pointed a finger at her. Blue ki sparked at his finger tip and he aimed at her chest. She closed her eyes and held her breath.

The moment the heat of the ki could be felt against her skin she gasped and had to bite down on her lower lip to stop from screaming bloody murder. The ball of ki trailed down her chest and in between the valley of her breasts, it seared her skin like a hot iron rod as it passed the middle of her stomach and reached the short length of her dress that ended above her knees. She arched as her dress was torn apart and Vegeta was before her again. He almost tenderly pried away the material to reveal her body clad only in a black bra and matching underwear.

She hated feeling like a whore, hated feeling this defenceless all over again but Bulma pushed her disgust aside. His thumbs purposely brushed her bare skin as he moved the material away from her body and she shuddered from his touch. He tugged harshly at her dress until it ripped of her shoulders. She mewled in protest but felt too defeated to speak.

He incinerated the material in his palms before he pushed her roughly towards the floor. Face down he displayed her bare back to his gaze. Her skin tingled from the intensity of his eyes on her almost naked body and she wanted desperately to be anywhere else but lying on a dirty stone floor below the cruel Prince Vegeta.

The breath whooshed out of her chest as he struck her bare back. Ki belt after ki belt was hit into her soft flesh. She could feel her skin beginning to open from the sharp bites of being whipped and she had to close her eyes. Close her eyes and try to ignore the pain he was inflicting and not picture the scars he'd leave on her skin. Her skin was by no means flawless but the odd blemish here and there would be nothing compared to the damage he would impose with each of his powerful blows. His marks would mar almost every inch of her back.

Bulma refused to cry, she did not want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry but the tears left her eyes of their own accord. With each sting she felt her eyes well up and the tears stream down her cheeks.

Suddenly the beating stopped and the Prince crouched down before her. She felt him run a finger down her bloody back. Vegeta's fingertip sticking in and out of every cut like a harpist playing the cords on his instrument. No sweet melody was heard though, only the broken sobs of Bulma. But she assumed that was as good as music to Vegeta's ears. Cries of terror. Then she heard him suck at his finger and she resisted the urge to vomit. She felt weak and drained from her blood loss and crying but she would not pass out.

"Exotic and sweet. Your blood would make a fine wine to enjoy woman." She didn't reply to his sadistic comments but she did release her lower lip from beneath her teeth. Biting into it had helped subdue her cries but she hadn't realised she had been tasting the metallic blood that seeped from the broken skin on her lip. It felt like a parallel comparison to Vegeta tasting her blood.

"You know." Vegeta broke through her nightmarish reverie. "Nion didn't remember the King requesting any female companions yesterday. She was sure she hadn't sent anyone out from her house. Although when I described you to her she was very surprised indeed. She seems very _fond _of you woman." He told her softly and Bulma's eyes closed in pain.

In the darkness of her mind she could see the ugly face of Nion who looked more manly than feminine, demanding Bulma bed four or five men a day. And refusal brought a stint of being dumped into a pit that housed Saiyan urine and feces from the whore house before it was let out to travel towards a sewage. Yes, as strong as Nion was, it wasn't her strength that scared Bulma. It was the vile woman's ability to ordain the most despicable punishment imaginable to ensure submission. Nion had an uncanny ability to expose every individual's weak point before using it against them. She had been extremely reluctant to sell Bulma but in the end Cabba had made an offer the greedy woman could not resist.

"You must be extremely good on your back whore." Vegeta continued to taunt Bulma. "I admire your courage. It's very … _alluring_." He told her darkly. "And I've been thinking, surely death is too small a price to pay for your actions. So this is what I suggest. You go back to Nion and continue to work there. And I will request your presence for my own use every night."

"I thought you don't do whores Vegeta?" She reminded him weakly, her throat burning from her pain. She didn't want to ever go back to the whore house. She would say anything not to go back there. _Do_ anything.

"Oh but for you, I'd make an exception. You see Nion told me of your stubborn streak and how no one could break you. I think I've seen it here today for myself. You're a feisty one aren't you. I think I'm looking forward to the challenge woman." He chuckled darkly.

Bulma didn't want to go back to Nion's house. She didn't want to lie next to some overgrown pile of muscle day in and day out, welcoming a hundred different cocks inside of her. She refused to be beaten into submission or having to lie on her back and take what she was dealt in abuse. Or ride some disgusting intoxicated Saiyan who bruised every part of her he touched. She refused to be sterilized like a horse so she wouldn't mistakenly breed. She did not want to go back to the putrid pits of the whore house. She would not go back to eight years ago. She had worked too long and hard to get where she was. And she certainly did not want to be under the ruthless control of Vegeta every night.

Bravely, Bulma used Vegeta's pause in attack to sit up. She was relieved when he made no attempt to stop her. She dragged herself towards the wall and rested against it for comfort. The cool stone providing a small reprieve from the burning open wounds of her flesh.

"I kissed him to death." Bulma suddenly told Vegeta and his eyes narrowed on her. She looked defiantly back up at him. She didn't bother shielding her eyes from him. She left them unimpeded for him to witness the hatred she felt for his kind and the joy she had taken in murdering his father. "Oh it was beautiful. For everything that he did; destroying my home Planet and reducing me to this." She spat. "I was a heiress to a multi-billion dollar company On Earth. I was the fucking richest woman on my Planet. And I was beautiful and intelligent. What more could a woman want?" She laughed emptily at her lost destiny.

He didn't speak. Just continued to glare at her, his eyebrows drawing together in contemplation of her words and she was glad he offered no remark. She wasn't sure she could stop now that she had started. Eight years was a long time to keep this within yourself. Once the words leave your lips there's no hope of restraining them. The flood gates of her bitterness were broken and it spewed out venomously from her bruised and bleeding lips.

"And yet your kind continued to take from me. My innocence, my life, my everything. I wasn't free. I was enslaved as nothing but a body to play with. Earning my captives riches that I myself was robbed of. And then, as if that weren't enough you wanted to take my life from me. You sick creatures. Because of your ungodly strength you think it fair to prey upon a weaker race. But I refused to be weak. Through it all, a lesser person would have gone insane from what I've experienced. But where I lacked brute strength I trained my mind against you villainous creatures. And I vowed then that I would avenge my people and for all my suffering I would extract my revenge." She told him bluntly, honestly.

"It was never easy." Bulma continued. "Every day posed a different challenge. But finally I had your bastard father melting away into nothing but bones right before my eyes." At that she laughed and laughed and laughed. Its hollow sounds echoed in the dungeons and she could tell her outburst had stunned the Saiyan Prince. Then he frowned at her.

"I hope you meet him in the afterlife of hell." He told her and raised a hand against her again. This time his open palm showed a large ball of ki that was mockingly casting hues of light upon her battered self and darkened soul.

Bulma's maniacal laughter slowly quietened into quieter giggles before subsiding completely. Although a small smile still played on her lips. "Oh I wouldn't do what if I were you." She told him calmly.

Calmly enough for Vegeta to hesitate and postpone her fate. She showed not a trace of fear at her impending death. "Do not presume to tell me what to do woman." He barked at her.

She chuckled hoarsely, her throat abraded from all the crying, talking and laughing she had just done. "You see my dear Prince Vegeta, inside me I've installed a very deadly bomb." She explained, tapping a lined scar on her right hip. "If you were to blow me up now, your ki would detonate this little baby laying dormant in me. And we would all go _boom_." She raised a closed fist before him and opened it quickly as if illustrating an explosion while she smiled beautifully up at him. "The explosives I've made are powerful enough to take down this entire worthless Castle you revere so much. And then some."

* * *

**Author's Note:** _A thank you to jennifer975 who was a little confused at Bulma's decision to ask Kakarot to lock her inside her cell and leave. I wanted to show that even though Bulma is a complete bitch in this story she still has the ability to care for someone other than herself. In the previous chapter Kakarot showed this by knowing she wanted to protect him in her own selfish little way. Hopefully that will come into play in more detail a little later on. _

_Also I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story, it's pretty dark and demented and Bulma and Vegeta's relationship wont be improving anytime soon but I can tell you this, in this unthinkable and horrific world that they live in the alliance that they forge will turn into one niether of them can break from ... nor would they want to!_

_Until next time, Happy Reading!_

_Nova.81_


	5. Chapter 5

**Revenge: An Earthling's Retribution**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

"You see my dear Prince Vegeta, inside me I've installed a very deadly bomb." She explained, tapping a lined scar on her right hip. "If you were to blow me up, your ki would detonate this little baby laying dormant in me. And we would all go boom." She raised a closed fist before him and opened it quickly as if illustrating an explosion while she smiled beautifully up at him. "The explosives I've made are powerful enough to take down this entire worthless Castle you revere so much. And then some."

Vegeta's eyes widened in shock as he studied the scar that lined her right hip as if mesmerized by its sheer audacity at hiding a bomb behind it. Then his gaze drifted back up to look straight into a pair of taunting blue eyes.

Their gazes clashed, duelled and it was infuriating for the Saiyan Prince that he was not the victor in their little staring match.

"Well then, if I can't blast you into oblivion then I guess I just have to tear you limb from limb." He said drily as he advanced on Bulma.

"Oh Vegeta, like the rest of your kind, you are so primitive. It's no wonder Frieza has the upper hand on you guys." Bulma mocked.

"Frieza … upper hand." Vegeta stopped dead in his tracks and looked at the beaten woman before him. "What do you know about him woman? I suggest you keep your mouth shut about matters that don't concern you." He warned, without waiting for a reply to his question.

Bulma laughed victoriously. She would have to play some of her finest trump cards now but anything was better than dying like this. And who knew, maybe she could even extract some gain from the disastrous situation she found herself in.

"Oh I probably know more about him than you do Vegeta. You see while you Saiyans deal with everything using brute strength, Frieza has advanced his Empire technologically as well. It's one of the main reasons he's always been one step ahead of you." She told him simply.

It was true. Vegeta knew it as well as Bulma did. Vegeta-sei wasn't a Planet that was known for anything but birthing some of the strongest warriors in the universe. It's hot and humid conditions kept almost all of its lands barren. Coupled with its warriors endless need for battles. Saiyans depended heavily on other Planets within their Empire to provide sustenance and any other necessities they might require. They may be capable of space travel and regeneration tanks but that wasn't really much considering the potential such technology could grow. They seemed to dwell only with bare essentials and anything that advanced their ability to grow stronger. Nothing else seemed of importance to them. They overestimated their strength drastically.

"What are you babbling about woman?" He was starting to intensely dislike this female. She was like a pestering bug that no matter how hard you stomped on would just continue to scurry along your path. '_What was she?'_

"Why don't I just give you some cold hard proof instead, hmm? You seem like the kind of guy who only appreciates facts, Vegeta." Bulma told him as she reached for the tiny capsule inside the confines of the underwire of her bra. She was glad he hadn't stripped her of all her clothing before beating her.

Pressing onto its buttoned top Bulma gently threw the capsule onto the ground next to her and let it open up in its normal poof of pink smoke. She saw his surprise at her little trick but he remained standing still – watching her more intently. She opened a small black pouch that had been released from within the capsule ignoring her little hand tool that had also popped out from the capsule. Bulma took out a green scouter and placed it on her ear allowing the glass to cover her right eye. All the while Vegeta just watched her, unsure of what in the world was happening.

"Take out your own scouter won't you." She told him and he surprisingly complied without any resistance. As she watched him remove the scouter from inside his breast plate Bulma raised an eyebrow at him. "Considering Nappa hadn't been wearing any armor, I would hate to think where he kept his scouter."

She could have sworn she had seen light colour tint his cheeks but it must have been a trick of the light from his own rosy coloured scouter.

"Now what woman?" He sounded as if it had almost killed him to question her, however he couldn't quite hide the curiosity that was prominent in his raspy voice. All thoughts of ending her miserable existence temporarily cowed.

"Ok, grant me access." Bulma told him as he recognised a foreign communication link waiting for a response from his scouter.

Bulma pressed a few dials on her scouter after Vegeta paired their communication links. "I'm sending you some information on Frieza's Empire. You see, I not only managed to hack into the Saiyans data base but I was also able to hack into Frieza's too. It wasn't that difficult if you knew what to look for." She explained proudly as she watched data and figures flit through her screen.

She had kept the scouter in the event that she would have needed to make a speedy getaway and wasn't able to gather any of her belongings from Cabba's place. She hadn't wanted to carry all her capsules with her on her little mission. Besides she wouldn't have been able to keep them all on her anyway.

"Impossible." Vegeta muttered as he read through the data his scouter was receiving. She was sending him enormous amounts of information on Frieza's Empire; planets under his rule, planets he was targeting and data on every single being under his command.

"As you can see Vegeta, Frieza has been targeting Planets under your rule specifically." Bulma told him.

"I knew that already woman." He grunted at her as if she had insulted his intelligence.

Here she was giving him loads of worthy data and he was too prideful to even admit it. _'What an ass.'_

"I'm more use to you alive than I am dead Vegeta." Bulma bargained. At this he turned towards her and cocked an eyebrow in her direction.

"You've just given me a whole frame worth of important data you foolish woman. I doubt you could be of any more use to me. And I'm sure I would not find it too difficult to pry that scouter from your dead body." He told her.

She just smiled. "What an ungrateful jerk. But your arrogance will be your downfall my Prince." She told him sarcastically. "You see Vegeta, there's so much more you don't know and even if you do take my scouter, I've encoded and encrypted all my data which is so heavily protected that I doubt there's anyone in the universe who could breach my barriers." She declared.

Vegeta frowned. _'And she called him arrogant.'_ She had proven to be remarkably intelligent and he couldn't deny it. Not with the facts right in front of his own eye. But she was definitely a liability he couldn't afford. She could prove to be a hindrance in the future. But if she was speaking truthfully, which he had no doubt she was, then she would most definitely be of great use to him for now. He could always kill her after that.

"Let's make a deal shall we?" Bulma ventured, her spirits at seeing him inwardly debate on not killing her rising hopefully.

"You are in no position to proposition me woman." He snarled at her.

"Oh I think I most definitely am in one to proposition you Vegeta. You see, if you kill me, you lose everything that you could benefit from. But if you keep me alive without any _benefits_ then I would refuse to give you what you need." She promised.

"I could torture it out from you." He shrugged carelessly.

"You could." Bulma agreed, already ahead of him on that one. "But then I could just self detonate the explosives inside of me and kill myself. Not to mention take a whole damn army of Saiyans with me." She stared at him with fierce conviction.

"You wouldn't." Vegeta denied. Not about her killing an entire army of Saiyans, but killing herself.

"Wouldn't I?" She dared him to try her, determined blue eyes sparking challengingly at his black eyes of endlessness.

"What is it that you want woman?" He asked her, always being one for getting straight to the point. For the first time since he had set his sights upon her he was beginning to see more to her than the eye could. She was determined and fierce but there was something odd about her. She had intelligence yes, but she was after something. She wanted more. She was scheming towards a greater goal.

"I can help you Vegeta. Look at this." She told him, disregarding his question. Pressing a few more dials on her scouter she sent him more information.

"What?" He bellowed in rage. "No, that can't be right. Your scouter must be malfunctioning or your data is incorrect." He told her in utter disbelief.

Bulma shook her head. "Nope. That's Frieza's power level." She wanted to smile victoriously up at him but refrained. He looked beyond angry and she didn't want to risk being in the firing line of his obvious bad temper.

"But that, that's …" He didn't have to finish his sentence. She knew what he would say. _" … more than mine."_ He turned to look at her. He pulled off the scouter from his ear and crushed it in the palm of his hands.

He turned his back on her and his hands went into his hair. "Listen, I can help you." Bulma told him calmly. "I can help you to fight back against Frieza and buy yourself some time. Time to become stronger." She chose her words carefully. She was definitely treading dangerous waters now.

He turned to stare maliciously at her. She watched as he materialised before her as fast as a flash of lightning, lifting her up by her throat. Her still wounded back scraping painfully against the wall as she was pulled up onto her feet and then completely off the ground. She hissed sharply, her bare feet dangling from her ankles, her toes trying to meet the security of the ground. Her hand instinctively went to his wrist trying to get him to stop choking her. It was then that she realised that his hold on her wasn't suffocating. Although he held fastidiously onto her neck she could still choppily breathe in and out. She didn't fail to realise though; that if he didn't like what she said next he'd have no qualms about snapping her neck in two.

"Why would you do that woman?" He asked her. "You hate my people so much that you killed our King and seek revenge on us. So I ask again, why would you help me?" This time his hand squeezed around her neck in warning.

"You have something of mine that I want back." She told him stiffly.

"Oh, and what might that be?" Vegeta questioned.

"My Planet." Was Bulma's only reply.

* * *

Vegeta paced in his chambers for what felt like the umpteenth time since he had arrived home last night. His strong fingers found their way through the mass of thick black hair that adorned his throbbing skull. He had not had a wink of sleep in … well three days if his mind served him right. And knowing his mind, it was definitely three days. He hadn't slept a wink since before arriving on Vegeta-sei. Now was definitely not the time though. And besides, he had always been a firm believer in "you could sleep when you were dead". His body required only rest to re-cooperate and keep up with his rigid routines.

However the weight of the situation he found himself in was beginning to weigh heavily on him and he needed to offload some of it. So he paced. It always helped him as if it allowed him to keep up with the furious pace his thoughts ran in when there were too many in his mind.

'_Curse that blue female.'_ This was all her fault. However he was starting to see the definite bright side in this situation. More so than Bardock and Zorn. The two elder Saiyans had been furious and downright appalled that Vegeta would suggest they align themselves with the woman who had no doubt murdered their King but they didn't really have a choice. He was their Prince after all.

That was another thing on Vegeta's mind. He was the crown prince of his Planet and Empire but that bitch had robbed him from claiming his birth right. She had stolen the right to be anointed by his father's blood after a glorious battle where he could display his undeniably, unequalled strength before all his people. Normally only at thirty years of age would the first born son be recognised as worthy of claiming the throne. Saiyans believed that a King should not engage in deadly battles or wars after coronation unless challenged. They always desired leadership and guidance. Saiyans also aged at a slower rate, so thirty was viewed as being at your prime. There were laws of course that would allow Vegeta to claim his birth right in the case of unforeseen circumstances but he didn't think his father being killed by a human woman would befit those circumstances.

Saiyans were very set in the few rules that they did impose. And Saiyan hierarchy demanded that no Saiyan could be deemed worthy of ruling or of elite status if they died a shameful death. In fact, death in itself was a shameful thing. Saiyans prided themselves on their battle prowess and dying to anyone below your rank was seen as an abomination. If you had to die, it was expected – no demanded of you – to die in a manner significant enough for acknowledgement.

Vegeta may not have been known to show such knowledge in his heritage or culture, but he was highly educated in his ways and being naturally of high intelligence had always found it easy to grasp concepts. Especially ones that concerned him.

He knew Bardock and Zorn would never question their loyalties or even think of challenging Vegeta but what of the others? The younger generation who weren't privy to what his father and he did for them. What about those who held jealousy and anger towards the royal family? It was not easy ruling after all, there had to be people who begrudged them. This was not good. An inter-race war could lead to worse things. They were not in a position to deal with one. It would leave them open for Frieza to strike. And undoubtedly more Planets under their rule with deflect. _'Damn it all to hell.'_

Frieza. It was unimaginable to think that the blasted Ice-jin was stronger than he was. But what if Frieza was? Vegeta could not risk being defeated by the Ice-jin. Or possibly killed. That reality was very possible.

The Saiyan Prince was just about to blow a hole through his chambers when a sharp knock sounded at his door. It took him a while to calm down and compose himself again during which time the brass knob was hit more persistently against his door. This did not help his temper.

"Enter." He barked out.

"My Prince, it's an honour to finally meet you." Kakarot bowed before his Prince, his right fist loyally placed against his left pectoral where the emblazoned Saiyan crest was stamped upon.

"You may rise." Vegeta inclined his head in a small nod. He sized up the warrior before him with his sharp mind. "I have a task for you." Nineteen years was still considered young amongst his people and yet the Saiyan before him seemed wiser than his years and stronger than his class. Only confirming Vegeta's suspicions that the young Saiyan needed to be better watched. After all, the young were more susceptible to rebellious streaks.

"I would fulfill any task prescribed to me to the best of my ability." Kakarot nodded in assurance.

"Good. I require you to watch over someone for me. Guard them during every second they are not in my presence. You see they have proved to be rather dangerous when provoked and although they have acquiesced to working for me they may still be a threat to me and our people." Vegeta explained watching the taller Saiyan's every facial feature.

"Forgive me my Prince, but why would you want me to protect someone who possibly is of danger to us?" Kakarot frowned.

"I said _guard_ Kakarot. Not protect." Vegeta watched the younger Saiyan's frown deepen and he sighed softly. "You are to ensure she stays away from trouble while she renders her services to me. It is important she works for me but I do not trust her in the least. Her actions of late have been less than _honest_." Vegeta explained.

Kakarot nodded silently. "I understand Prince Vegeta. However if you don't mind me asking, who is she?"

Ah, a good question. "An Earth woman called Bulma." Vegeta watched as Kakarot's lightly tanned skin paled in the bright lights above him before he regained his impassive mask. "Will that pose any problems Kakarot?" Vegeta asked, his eyebrows drawing together.

"Of course not Prince Vegeta. I assume it is because I know of her that you have required my duty?" Kakarot wisely asked.

Vegeta found Kakarot's phrasing of his sentence very interesting. "Of course." The Prince nodded. "You should know that I fight my battles very strategically." He smirked as Kakarot frowned at his words again.

"I will not disappoint you my Prince." Kakarot vowed as he thumped his right fist against his chest again.

Vegeta nodded his approval before briefing Kakarot on his task at hand. "You may leave." He dismissed Kakarot after he had said all he needed to say. The third class warrior bent his waist to bow to his prince before he turned to leave once more. "Did you help her escape?" Vegeta asked simply. He had waited for Kakarot to turn around because he knew he'd be able to read more from the Saiyan's tense shoulders, stiff back and bristling tail than from his placid features. He watched as Kakarot turned around to face him, a mild mask of confusion donned in the time it took him to face his Prince.

"No my Prince. I visited her only to ask why she had been in the dungeons. Forgive my curiosity and foolishness." Kakarot lied easily, comforting himself with the fact that he hadn't _really_ lied.

Vegeta took a step towards the taller Saiyan. His dark eyes lifted to penetrate right through his inferiors own eyes and smash against his skull. "And did you? Find out why she was there?" Vegeta asked very softly and slowly. His voice even and controlled.

"She told me you were punishing her for being unwilling." Kakarot searched for the right words.

Vegeta was less annoyed at the woman's audacity to lie about him from the relief that washed over his riled up senses. Vegeta simply nodded and turned his back on Kakarot successfully ending their conversation and dismissing the younger Saiyan from his chambers.

He had no need to justify himself to a third class warrior or fully involve the other Saiyan in his plans. Even if he were the son of Bardock and brother to Raditz. _He_ was the Prince of every single Saiyan. And if need be, he could flush out Kakarot as easily as he would the woman. When the time was right!

* * *

He watched her as she floated in the healing liquids of the regeneration tank. Her peaceful stance encouraging guilt from him as he thought of his conversation with his Prince.

Kakarot was unfailingly loyal to a point where he could be accused of being foolish. However, he knew not better for that was his upbringing. His father and elder brother had instilled noting but Saiyan righteousness into his being until he was overflowing with "proper decorum".

This was an ideal opportunity for him to establish his worth amongst the Saiyans. As he grew he was continuously having to prove himself. It was a challenge he took to heart, trying every day to rise to meet it. More so now since all the burden of being named firstborn son weighed heavily upon his shoulders. _"You have strong shoulders my son, you are capable of carrying them."_

He recalled his father's words with pride. Although it still stung to come to terms with the fact that he was carrying his sibling's rights now. Something that never seemed to sit well with him.

However Kakarot believed that he would not jeopardise protecting Bulma over his duty. He believed that he could do both. He would prove to his father and Prince that he was worthy of moving up the ranks and maybe he would be given more challenging battles to engage in. While doing so he would be there for Bulma as he had wanted to all those years ago. He believed he was receiving a brilliant opportunity that was meant for him to succeed in. How wrong he was. Not realising the lives of those you intertwined yours with could screw with your destiny like a twist to your tail.

He watched the healing fluid drain from the tank as Bulma's sparkling blue eyes opened slowly. She was lowered slowly onto her feet without the liquids to keep her afloat. She looked quizzically at him for a few moments before the corners of her mouth lifted silently and she nodded at him.

He handed her a towel and offered her a small smile of his own. Yes, everything would be just fine from now on. "Please don't ask me to help you escape again." He told her softly. Then he would have to choose duty over her. And he would.

"I won't." She assured him and smiled at his bewildered expression. He wasn't very clued up on what was going on between Vegeta and her but he didn't dare question the Prince. So he had known his only option was to be answered by Bulma.

"You won't?" He asked dumbly.

"Right now I just need a nice hot shower and some clean clothes." She told him. "Escaping is the furthest thing from my mind."

"So you _are_ planning on escaping then." He said as if he had just caught her doing something very naughty.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Kakarot what do you want?"

"The Prince asked me to be your personal guard." Kakarot told her. And for the first time he was a little worried for her safety. Even with the knowledge that it was he who would be protecting her.

"Should have known." Bulma muttered. She couldn't have really expected the aggravating Saiyan Prince to let her roam around freely after what she had done.

"What have you gotten yourself into this time Bulma?" He asked, his voice laced with concern.

"You don't want to know." She sighed.

Kakarot seemed to be a very literal person. She couldn't tell yet if that made him stupid or naïve. "Why wouldn't I want to know? I asked you."

"That's a question you should ask yourself Kakarot." She winked smartly at him as his frowned deepened. "Come on now, this stuff is starting to dry on me."

* * *

Vegeta was thoroughly displeased and slightly discomforted by the idea of that blasted female dressed in his own garments. She wore a black training suit that lightly skimmed over her curves as it wasn't her size. He was in no doubt that she was completely naked underneath his clothes and the thought made his skin crawl. However, he couldn't have her traipsing around the Castle lest she rise suspicions; so he had had no choice but to ask kakarot to keep her in his personal chambers. They would have to work relatively unnoticed.

She was intelligent yet wickedly crafty. She definitely had the feminine wiles down to an art form. As he entered his chambers he watched her lounge on the carpet of his entrance room, bare footed, her back leaned against his rich burgundy chaise, one leg bent at the knee as she tossed her capsule into the air before catching it again.

The third class was sitting on the chaise above her and Vegeta noticed Kakarot's leg was touching the woman's shoulder lightly. Vegeta was suspicious about the air of comfort between the two that permeated his chambers. It was strange and he didn't understand it. This was a woman who had claimed to hate all Saiyans. There was obviously much more to this pair than he initially suspected.

Upon his arrival Kakarot sprung to attention and bowed to him. He did not fail to notice that all the blue haired woman did was turn her head to acknowledge his presence. And he also noticed the shift of uneasiness and tension that now stifled the calmness in the room until only an awkward almost buzzing silence was heard.

Vegeta ignored Kakarot as he walked towards the woman on his floor. She immediately rose, standing defiantly before him, defiantly and … _proudly_.

"Kakarot, carry the woman, we will fly to her dwelling now." Vegeta addressed the younger warrior without so much as sparing him a look.

As Kakarot made to move towards Bulma she spoke.

"You stink! There is no way we're going anywhere with that foul stench following us." Vegeta was in no doubt as to what she meant. He had been battling Nappa at almost full strength ensuring Nappa received the beating the old fool deserved for punishment while venting his own anger.

"Bulma." He heard the other warrior in the room call out to her in warning.

However she paid no mind to him, tossing her head to the side defiantly. Vegeta knew what she was doing. She was trying to insert some claim into their dealings. Showing that she held some power in her situation. A begrudging approval of her strategy had the Prince refraining from strangling her with his bare hands.

He stepped closer towards her, almost invading her personal space. The tension in the room immediately heightened as Vegeta watched her stare challengingly at him. All the while a bewildered Kakarot looked from one to the other.

"It is extremely unwise to trifle through my belongings woman. Furthermore I will not tolerate your disrespect towards me. I am the Prince of all Saiyans. You are a weak alien female who will do well to remember her place and where she belongs. Is that understood?" He spoke quietly although every words meaning was not lost on the genius.

She shook her head and Vegeta frowned. "It isn't my fault that you destroyed my clothing. So consider this …" She paused to sweep a hand slowly down her body, her palm skating over her full breasts, flat abdomen and curved hip to motion towards her borrowed outfit before she continued. " … repayment for my dress. Considering I _am_ an alien here, you will receive the respect that you earn from me. After all, you are not _my_ Prince. Oh and worry not, I know this is not my place."

He found himself utterly shocked by her outright verbal sparring with him and he wondered if there had ever been anyone who had owned enough wit or courage to mentally spar with him before. Belatedly he heard Kakarot groan and Vegeta growled at her in annoyance advancing a little towards her, his fists clenched at his sides.

She didn't budge. She stood her ground, gazing almost serenely at him. She refused to show any fear towards him. He enjoyed that far too much. And she would not let him impose himself on her. Never.

Poking a finger bravely into his chest she turned it around, imagining it was a dagger twisting into his heart._ 'If he did in fact possess one.'_ She thought wryly. "Why don't you go and bathe now."

He was gone before she could blink simply because he did not want to kill her for her blatant disrespect towards him. _'Not yet.'_ He tried to reiterate into his mind. Not yet.

Kakarot groaned again before he turned to grab Bulma by her arms. She released a shuddering breath she hadn't realised she had been holding and allowed Kakarot to hold her steady on her feet as her shoulders slumped from holding them so stiffly upright. Her little battle of words and dominance with Vegeta was not going to be an easy one. She just needed to practice more and keep her mind strong. He would not be as easy as any other Saiyan being. His mind and willpower was certainly more developed than the rest of his kind. She rolled her eyes and sighed. No, it would not be easy at all.

* * *

The thirty-five minute flight to Cabba's tiny stone house was dreadful. Her eyes burned from having to keep them open to direct Kakarot on their tour, her face stung from the sharp wind that pricked at her skin and her hair had dried into an unruly wave of frizz from the humid heat.

She hated flying, but at the speed Kakarot and Vegeta – who was right at their side – flew at Bulma considered herself lucky. When she had managed to bribe a Saiyan into taking her to the Castle before he had flown rather slowly, not too high into the sky and she had had a cloak around her. Although that had been a safe flight it had also taken almost an hour to reach her intended destination.

Kakarot slowed as she pointed out the small stone building, shrouded in darkness, erected a little away from the other buildings. They travelled in the almost setting sun of Vegeta-sei so as not to draw much attention to the Prince.

Now, seeing the familiar building she had lived in for almost five years, she felt a slight sense of ease. It wasn't home, she never referred to it as such or even entertained the thought but it had provided some sort of security for her. Regardless of how imprisoning it made her feel.

They entered the sparsely furnished house with trepidation and Bulma filled the room with light as she pressed into a wall panel.

"Where is your master?" Vegeta questioned.

"Off planet." Bulma shrugged.

He didn't believe her of course and he made a mental note to gather the truth from Zorn later.

'_Might as well get on with it then.' _Bulma thought. "This way." She instructed as she walked through a side door.

"Stand guard outside Kakarot." Vegeta ordered the other Saiyan out before following the retreating back of the woman.

He stood in the open doorway for a while before entering and closing the door behind him. He took in the distorted mess of the room that only had a large table in the centre of the room, a stool next to it and a tiny cot towards the side of a wall below a small rounded window. Everywhere else was cluttered with wires and metal, plastic, tools, paper and some dirty dishes or discarded clothes. Immediately he knew that her master had not been in residence for a very long while now.

Ignoring the trying mess the room was in Vegeta stepped towards the table examining what it carried with his eyes only. He made no comment and she offered none either. He watched as she pulled out a capsule from a drawer beneath the table and popped it open. A small box of some sort appeared and he watched her bend forward to rummage through it. A few more garments were thrown upon her cot before she pulled out a dress similar to the one she had worn when he had first seen her. Except it was a wild green colour.

"You are filthy woman." He told her disgustedly as she gathered her bushy hair into a tight knot at the back of her head.

She turned back to frown at him as if she had not understood him. Then she looked around the small room as if seeing it for the first time before shrugging casually. "I'm not. It's called a disorganised mess and at least I know where to find things." She told him.

"You're an idiot woman." He told her.

"Do you think you could at least address me by given name instead of _woman_?" She muttered.

"No." He replied simply and she sighed exasperated with him already. "Where did you get those ridiculous garments from?" He frowned at her clothes that he had never before seen or had knowledge of.

"It's Earth clothing. I had Cabba bring over some material from off Planet and got someone to redesign clothes I felt comfortable in." She shrugged again.

So her master had obviously been enamoured by her to indulge her in such trivialities. "Did he know of your scientific abilities?"

"No." She shook her head.

Before he could question her further she turned her back towards him and started to remove the body suit from her.

"What are you doing woman?" Vegeta asked in confusion.

"What does it look like I'm doing Vegeta. Changing. I'm not going to be able to work in this suit." She told him as she peeled the material from her body.

"Vulgar woman." He cursed although he did not turn to look away from her as he stood almost entranced by her fluid motions. He scoffed. He refused to look away. He was a Prince who did not need to offer any false sense of chivalrous behaviour towards this female.

She laughed softly and it sounded sweet, melodic almost real. He frowned. Since when did he decipher sounds of laughter. He noticed her supple legs and perfectly rounded bottom was pale and smooth, her skin flawless and obviously soft. And then his gaze travelled upwards at her back which was decorated with white scars. He almost flinched at seeing the damage his own beatings had inflicted but shrugged it off. She deserved it.

"I am not ashamed of my nudity Vegeta. I have no reason to be. Besides, I have been seen more naked in my life than I have been clothed." She shrugged as she pulled the material over her head. As she slipped on the dress he caught sight of pink tipped breasts that were rounded nicely and perked proudly. She shimmied her hips to fit more comfortably into the dress, smoothing her palms over the material before she turned around to face him, pushing a few strands of rebellious hair from her face. "I do not think your race could shame me anymore." She told him coldly.

It was the truth and she hated them for it. "Ok, let's get started." She told him as she sat upon the stool aside the table. She pulled out a tablet from another drawer under the table and he had no doubt it belonged to her master and powered it up. She beckoned to him with her hand without taking her eyes away from the machinery.

Vegeta watched patiently as she showed him Planets that the Ice-jin ruled. "But we've travelled through this galaxy before. There was nothing there. Your co-ordinates are obviously wrong." Vegeta frowned.

She shook her head at him before picking up a piece of parchment and a pen. "Nope. The planets are definitely there." She told him while she made some scratches on the paper.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

"Making notes obviously." Bulma told him.

"Woman that writing is undecipherable." He scowled at her.

She rolled her eyes at him and ignored his complaints. "Ok, so the reason you couldn't venture onto Frieza's Planets is because he's been using cloaking devices to make his empire undetectable from enemies." She explained.

"Cloaking devices?" Vegeta choked out.

"Yep." Bulma nodded. "I told you his technology has far since surpassed your own."

He was momentarily stunned. Not that Frieza had managed to technologically surpass his kind but because he had outwitted him with plain technology. Compared to the Saiyans strength. And then the fact that none of them, not even Bardock, had managed to figure this out. None but a mere Earth woman.

"Take out your scouter." She told him. Vegeta took out a new scouter that replaced the one he had broken earlier. Bulma sent co-ordinates to his new scouter. "Send some of your men there. Then you'll see I'm right. But I will obviously have to build a device that will disable the cloaking devices first." She told him and she scribbled some more notes onto her paper.

"You could do that?" He asked her uncertainly.

"Of course I can. I am a genius." There was no falsity to her claim, nor arrogance in her tone, or a need to impress him. She spoke simply in truth with a thrill of something … excitement. Of course, she was thrilled to play scientist and experiment her expertise. As he lived for battle, she lived for technology. He loved his bodily strength, she valued her minds power.

"I'll plan out everything I can and will do for you. Obviously I'll need equipment and a little help sometimes. Sometimes, but not for the most part." She told him and he just shook his head numbly, plans already whirring in his own mind.

"Why?" Bulma turned to look at him with a frown.

"Why what?" She asked him.

"Why would you do his for a race you claim to hate so much?" He elaborated wanting to know the truth.

"I told you. For my Planet." Bulma stared at him.

So she was sticking to that then. Fine. "And what do you plan to do with a Planet already bought and inhabited?"

"Ah well it won't be inhabited for much longer Vegeta. Once I prove my worth you're going to have Earth re-purged for me." Bulma told him as if it were a done deal.

"And if I do re-purge it for you, then what? You will go over, claim the Earth as your own, rule it? What rebirth new earthlings?" He laughed harshly at that idea. But his laughter was cut short by the look of pure anger and determination on her face.

"That's it, isn't it?" He told her shocked. "You're going to try to make the Earth into what it was, aren't you?"

"Yes." She told him simply.

"How do Earthling's procreate?" He asked her bluntly.

"The same way that Saiyans do." She replied just as bluntly.

"You know of other Earthling elsewhere." It wasn't a question and so she didn't bother answering him. He stared at her for a long moment. "And you believe you can, don't you?" Again, not a question.

"Why not?" Bulma shrugged. "Adam and Eve did it." She looked back towards her tablet, scrolling along it while making more notes on her paper.

"Adam and Eve?" Vegeta questioned.

Bulma sighed. "Earthling's believed that a singular God created the Earth. He then birthed man, Adam, from clay and later a woman from Adam's ribs for a wife. They then populated the Earth."

"That is the worst kind of mythical rubbish I've ever heard." Vegeta sneered.

"Maybe." Bulma agreed. After all, she was a scientist. It could just be that man evolved from apes. Look at the Saiyans after all. They possibly could be her ancient ancestors who were still evolving. She inwardly laughed at the thought. "Anyway, for now I suggest you tell everyone that your father has managed to infiltrate Ice-jin territory." Bulma suggested.

"What?" He frowned sharply at her.

Bulma sighed. "You obviously can't tell them he's dead right? And besides, people will start to wonder where you've managed to gather such valuable information from. That should cover up everything. It's extremely dangerous and so of course it's top secret and only you are in direct contact with him. Blah, blah, blah." She waved a hand dismissively in the air.

She did not notice the frown that became extremely thoughtful as the Saiyan Prince mentally commended her idea. Indeed she was proving to be more use to him than he could imagine. But he wasn't fooled by her _usefulness_.

"How can you trust me to keep up my end of the deal?" He questioned again.

"I don't." She replied truthfully and he frowned more deeply – if that was even possible for him – upon her.

Of course she couldn't trust him and she was definitely smart enough to know this. But if she was in doubt of that, then why was she still helping him?

"So that does not honestly answer my earlier question of why." He sneered at her.

'_And for now it never will.'_ Bulma inwardly smiled smugly. "Don't worry Vegeta, you will receive all the help I can give." _'And then some.'_ She added mentally. "And I do this all in the hopes that I will realise my dreams. Dreams that I have worked years to make a reality. It was either barter like this with you or die in vain." She explained.

He stared at her for the longest time possible before walking towards the door. He could understand her ambition. And yet he knew someone of her intelligence had a better plot than this. She couldn't secure what she wanted by helping him. So in doing so, she had to be helping herself too.

In time, Vegeta would come to learn of how right his suspicions really were …


	6. Chapter 6

**Revenge: An Earthling's Retribution**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

"Absolutely not!" He snarled his denial at her, not bothering to grace her presence below him with even a look.

Bulma squinted as she shielded her eyes from the strong sunlight of Vegeta-sei. _'Gosh, I really need some sunglasses.'_ She absently thought as she looked down at the dusty red grounds of sand she stood upon.

Sighing she plopped down heavily onto her bottom and slumped her shoulders. She kept her legs bent at the knees so her bare skin wouldn't burn from the heat of the fine particles of sand. She would obviously have to wait a while for his lordship to give her his full attention from his training. The man was obsessed. Sure Saiyans preferred nothing better than to fight since they celebrated everything with a battle, even death, but Vegeta was a class act.

Ever since she had given him Frieza's power reading he had become obsessed with surpassing the Ice-jin. She hardly ever saw him do anything else. She wondered if he even slept. However that was not her concern. She had come to seek permission from the monkey but she had no doubt she would have to melt in the harsh sun light until he took a break from his intense training. Either that or he became too annoyed with her constantly staring at him.

It was strange but she actually enjoyed watching him train. At first she had just glowered at him because she knew it annoyed the hell out of him and he would give in to her quicker. However it wasn't until later on when Vegeta had made a very peculiar comment, which had almost sounded like he had been flirting with her, had Bulma realised she actually enjoyed her little breaks from being cooped up indoors all day.

"_If I didn't know any better woman, I'd think you actually enjoyed watching me train."_ He had arrogantly told her a while ago. Bulma was no prude, she had always enjoyed ogling eye candy before but ever since coming to this Planet she had been too disgusted with its male species to admire any man. However she guessed as she wasn't required to bend over and play bitch to anyone and everyone it was easy to watch someone who definitely had a hot body. The thought didn't make her feel dirty like she thought it would and she guessed it had less to do with the Saiyan himself and more to do with the fact that Vegeta had never violated her before. Well not sexually at least.

Bulma was glad she had come prepared and with her thick rubber gloves still on her hands she relaxed, using a single palm on the ground to keep her steady. Head lolled back, one hand shading her face from the blazing sun Bulma watched Vegeta with narrowed eyes.

He was training with only his spandex pants and gloves on; armour, shirt and boots lay forgotten on a sand dune near him. He performed a set of intricate yet graceful katas that made him look uncannily like a ballet dancer with his broad shoulders and narrow hips. Bulma snorted at this. If the prince knew what she was thinking he'd probably blast her just for the thought. Perspiration formed tiny droplets on his muscular body, trickling down his bronze skin, making it seem like he had been glazed in honey and Bulma thought he could have easily posed for a magazine back on Earth. He was dreamy, she'd give him that, however even if he wasn't the Saiyan Prince of the nation that had robbed her of everything she still wouldn't do him. He was a jerk, plainly put. The man was beyond arrogant, couldn't string more than three words together most of the time and his pride she bet, was bigger than his … dick.

'_Yep, he definitely is one.'_ She smiled at that and looked away, neck aching from holding one position for more than five minutes.

Out of the corner of her eyes she peered at Kakarot standing rigidly away from her as if he were sculpted from stone. He was less antsy when alone with her but it seemed in front of his almighty Prince, Kakarot was another person completely.

Three weeks since she had made her little pact with Vegeta and it was easy to pretend she wasn't in her own personal hell. Most of the time. She had more freedom now that she wasn't petrified of what would happen to her if someone came across her alone, since she was always guarded by Kakarot. It had also brightened her dull spirits considerably since she was allowed to work for a change. And she didn't mean by lying on her back.

Bulma also had someone to share her work with. Kakarot's father, Bardock, was more intrigued by science than battle and after begrudgingly accepting her obvious intelligence his hatred for her had lessened. Especially after she showed him what she could do. She couldn't blame him for despising her or not trusting her considering he knew of what she had done to his King. But there were times when she wanted to laugh in his face and tell him he was an idiot. For everyday she had to gaze upon the faces of those who had annihilated her entire race with _demanded_ respect. Of course he may be more scientifically gifted for a Saiyan, but he was still a million times stronger than her, so she had wisely held back her tongue. Also it was difficult at times to remember why she hated him when she'd look up at him and find the resemblance between him and Kakarot so uncanny she couldn't help but smile. Not that Bardock would ever grace her with his son's rare showcases of fondness though.

Kakarot was surprisingly less cruel for a Saiyan. She sensed a deep sense of loss within him. And she could only assume it was due to the fact that he had been introduced to death at a tender age. Even Saiyans had feelings, even if they didn't express their emotions because they believed it posed weaknesses that made you vulnerable to your enemies. They were skilled to supress emotions where humans were strong believers in embracing and fearlessly expressing emotions. But that didn't mean they lacked the capacity to _feel_; no matter how masterfully they concealed it. And she could tell that Kakarot had been very fond of his elder brother. However with no mother and his brother – who had been his only constant – now dead he was obviously lonely. More so since …

Her thoughts were cut short when a pair of dusty feet landed strongly before her causing sand to rise around it. She stared up at Vegeta's face, beaded with perspiration she noticed his skin looked slightly darker than usual from the long hours of training he did in direct sunlight.

Vegeta was the complete opposite of Kakarot. He was proud, hard and cold like a rock and she assumed being a Prince that was how he was supposed to act. But then she had realised it wasn't an act. There wasn't a soft bone anywhere in this man. He cared about no one. Possibly, not even for himself. She saw how recklessly he engaged in battle, uncaring if he broke bones or scarred flesh. His single purpose was to grow stronger. And she frowned. A man like him had no weaknesses. It was daunting thinking she had taken on someone she could not expose to her dark ways by preying on his weaknesses. But she comforted herself with the thought that she would not have to take him on at all. If all went as planned that was.

"I am not changing my mind." He told her sternly.

Bulma stood up and dusted the sand from her black shorts. "Listen, you're being ridiculously stubborn. I can't begin working on anything without proper material." She wanted to milk her situation for as much as possible and going of planet was for materials as much as it was for herself.

It was the perfect opportunity to get of this wretched ball of fire and explore other planets. Also, it was an ideal opportunity to gather some important materials for her own personal use.

"I remember asking you to compose a list and get Bardock to go." Vegeta told her.

"He can't possibly recognise everything that I would need. He can't even comprehend some of my designs. It will waste valuable time. You've already announced to everyone that you would be striking against Frieza soon. You are delaying the process."

She could see his frown of agitation at her words. He hated when she was right and he hated it more when she brought Frieza into her bargains. He drove a hard bargain, but so did she.

"I don't trust you woman."

Bulma rolled her eyes at him. "Kakarot will be with me at all times. You don't have to trust me Vegeta."

"I don't trust him either." Vegeta spared Kakarot a flitting look before returning his piercing gaze onto her.

"You don't?" Bulma asked in surprise. If he didn't trust Kakarot then why had Vegeta asked him to watch her? Why not Nappa or someone of higher ranking? And then it hit her, ever since Kakarot had visited her cell when she had been caught for murder, Vegeta wanted to keep an eye on Kakarot as much as he wanted to watch her.

Vegeta just shook his head at her question and Bulma sighed. "Is there anyone that you do trust?"

"Myself." Again she wondered if this Saiyan possessed any weaknesses. Then her eyes widened from a light bulb idea but Vegeta immediately cut off her train of thoughts. "No. I do not have time to model around the universe with you woman and I am not a personal chauffer."

She hated when he did that. Cut of anything that she would say from looking at her eyes before she said it. Sometimes she wondered if he knew what she would want to say before she even thought it. _'Jerk.'_

"Fine, then build the damn equipment by yourself. I'll even hand you all the blueprints."

"Stop pestering me woman. I have training to do."

"Urgh." Bulma screeched, hands dramatically cutting towards her sides before she turned to walk away from him.

"Six days." Bulma turned around slowly to stare at him, not sure if she had heard him correctly. She watched him carefully.

"Six days?" Bulma questioned nervously.

"You heard me. Take that lap dog of yours and go before I change my mind. But if you're not back in six days then you will pay for it." Vegeta warned.

Bulma's eyes lit up like blue fire and she smiled beautifully at him. At last, she was getting to leave this planet even if it was for a short period of time. That was when she frowned.

"Six days? Vegeta, it will take three days for us to travel to Planet Leets."

Vegeta shrugged. "So? You will only need a couple of hours at most to gather what you require and then come straight back here."

"But – " Bulma was silenced by a large palm held before her face.

"No more. Now leave before I change my mind." He growled in warning at her.

"Fine." Bulma turned to walk away. "Jerk." She muttered, bottom lip protruding to blow up her bangs from her forehead in exasperation.

"I heard that." He snarled at her.

"Good." She muttered before walking more briskly; lest he release a ki ball at her unsuspecting back. Although he had managed to contain some of his temper around her she trusted him as much as he trusted her. "And _you_ assigned Kakarot as my guard. So he has no choice but to follow me around all day and night. He's not a lap dog." Bulma threw over her shoulder.

* * *

"Can't we eat first?" Kakarot moaned as he rubbed his rumbling stomach.

"You can eat on the ship. I've capsulized enough food for us." Bulma rolled her eyes. Kakarot's appetite was far worse than any other Saiyan she had come across. His appetite was simply insatiable.

Knowing not to argue with that stern tone of voice from Bulma – unless he wanted his ears to start bleeding from her endless screeching – Kakarot wisely shut his mouth and walked towards their destination by her side. She had made him fly deliberately slower than usual to the docking bay and he had hated it as much as she had loved it. She fidgeted too much in his arms, "oo-ing" and "ah-ing" at everything, and he became more restless and hungrier.

But he could see the joy in her face at having gained permission from Vegeta to go to Planet Leets and he enjoyed the real smile on her face. It was the first he had ever seen from her and he felt as if it could light up an entire night sky with its radiance. Not the fake one she plastered sarcastically for everyone else's benefit. She hadn't wasted any time when Vegeta had miraculously given her his permission and now they were nearing the entrance of the docking bay.

As they approached they both stopped walking as they saw Vegeta lounging against a small ship, hands crossed over his muscular chest, one leg propped up on the metal outside.

Kakarot bowed and Bulma raised an eyebrow at him. Vegeta ignored her questioning look and nodded at Kakarot. It seemed like the woman was becoming too familiar with her surroundings and she was beginning to take liberties with him he did not like. However her spark intrigued him and he was beginning to wonder if he should first play with her a little when the time came to end her life. It would prove rather amusing. Yes, he would sincerely enjoy crushing her spirits.

"A word, Kakarot." Vegeta demanded as he walked away from the ship and a few steps away from Bulma. He watched as she shrugged and wandered over towards the ship. _'Inquisitive thing.'_

As he spoke softly to Kakarot his eyes remained watchful of the woman lurking around the ship. She walked around the spacecraft, lovingly caressing its exterior before crouching down to inspect underneath it. She then stood up again and walked inside the ship. Not trusting her in the least, even though he had sensed no trickery from her, he decided to send Kakarot off. He walked behind Kakarot noting that he still did not smell the woman on the young Saiyan. Either they were being extra careful to keep it a secret from him or they really weren't engaging in sex. The latter he didn't believe.

He stepped onto the ramp of the ship and watched the woman fiddle with the control panel.

"Six days from today woman." He reminded her.

She shook her head at him. "No Vegeta. Six days from tomorrow. You didn't tell me we had to leave today. That was my idea. So considering I have outsmarted you in our little agreement I will not fear your wrath on return." She winked at him before engaging the ship into flight sequence.

He snarled in annoyance at her knowing that she was right and it would be pointless to argue with her. She had outsmarted him. However he doubted she could get up to any mischief while away. He had put her on an extremely tight schedule with a very short leash. He enjoyed that thought very much and felt reassured.

He did not bother to dignify her annoyingness with an answer and hearing no denial from him she again winked boldly at him before returning her attention towards the control panel once more. Kakarot gave him an unhelpful shrug and Vegeta, more aggravated than ever, flew off the ramp and away from the docking bay.

* * *

"What happened to him?" Bulma asked softly, trying to inject her voice with a bravery she did not feel. She did not want to inquire into Kakarot's personal life however being naturally inquisitive she couldn't hold back the question. Especially since they had been talking about Raditz. Kakarot had been sharing stories of his elder brother, who he clearly admired grandly, with her over lunch.

He didn't look at her and if it weren't for his Saiyan hearing or the way his chewing slowed from its regular jaw-breaking fastness Bulma would have thought he hadn't heard her.

"He was protecting a Planet Frieza blew up from space." He answered her simply and Bulma felt her chest constrict at the pained expression in his deep eyes. They looked empty and eternally sad. And she immediately swallowed, not wanting to feel any sympathy for him. However it seemed like her fondness for Kakarot could not be shut down like her other emotions.

Bulma covered his clenched fist on the table with her own small hand. Unsure of the action but feeling right in doing so anyway. She looked nervously up at him and tried to offer him a small smile of comfort but found her lips frozen from the intense look he gave her. Turning his fist around he opened his palm and held her hand. A current of emotion shot up her arm and her chest constricted for him. In that moment he looked more like a lost nine year old boy than a brave nineteen year old warrior.

"About fifteen years ago some Tuffles that had managed to escape Vegeta-sei after the Saiyan-Tuffle war had come back seeking revenge. They had somehow managed to regain strength in numbers using warriors from different races and other planets. A war broke out. I must have been no older than three at the time. I wasn't a strong child and so mother had taken it upon herself to train me instead of sending me off on missions like the other kids. Raditz said it was because I looked so much like my dad that I was her favourite."

"Kakarot …" Bulma's protests died on her lips as she sucked in a deep breath. He wasn't looking at her now; his eyes were focused on an empty point of space nearby. She knew he was lost in remembering his past and curiosity kept her quite. Eager to hear his story, battling with not wanting to feel any remorse for him and wondering why he was telling her all of this in the first place.

"The Tuffles were smart, attacking the weaker beings of our race that were living on different parts of the planet in smaller numbers. The third class Saiyans were the first. I remember her fighting so fearlessly. Every blow that she dealt was done with such passion and I vowed I'd fight as she did. She must have aroused similar feelings in the Tuffles. She had just protected me from over fifteen Tuffle soldiers. I can still see their bodies lying in piles outside. Then two more came. They were stronger than the ones before and mother was tired. Yet she still gave it everything she had. But they were too strong for her."

His hand tightened around hers and Bulma's fragile fingers felt like they would break from his strength. However she didn't protest, she couldn't. Her tongue felt glued to the roof of her mouth. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like for a scared three year old to have to witness his mother being murdered in cold blood. Saiyan or not, he had been helpless to save her, and that had to hurt.

"I tried to save her. I kicked and punched just like she had been teaching me, even bit and scratched." His lips curled into a wry smile. "But it was of no use. One of them caught me by my tail and all I could do was hang from it in abandoned pain. She tried to get up. Tried to help me and I wish she hadn't. He enjoyed her passion he told her. And he raped her while I watched. I'll never forget his eyes. Empty pools of glowing green."

Bulma gasped. Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse. And yet she could finally understand why Kakarot despised rape and was unconsciously so protective of women.

"I cried for them to stop but my pleas fell on deaf ears. He beat her so badly I couldn't even recognise her anymore. Do you know what was the worst part, all those screams that echoed in my ears and not one was from her. It was all me. She hadn't even whimpered in pain. And I wished they would have just killed her then. End it all so she didn't have to suffer anymore … so _I_ didn't have to witness her suffering. I shamed her that day."

"No, of course you didn't." Bulma shook her head forcefully.

Kakarot ignored her protests though and as if in a daze he just continued to speak. Whether he was aware he was speaking to her or not; Bulma couldn't tell. "She was just a pool of red blood then. I could only make out her shiny hair lying loosely around her. It was so black it seemed to shine deep blue at times. Like yours." He turned to look at Bulma, his haunted eyes focusing on her deep blue tresses.

"I don't remember much after that. Only the rancid smell of blood and the warm scent of reassurance that normally surrounded my mother, that was soon eclipsed by the suffocating stench of death. I felt power surge into my veins just before I blacked out. Raditz found me a while later. Hours maybe or it could have been days even, I don't know." Kakarot shrugged. "He beat me senseless after that. Told me my mother would have been ashamed of me if she were there. She had given her life for me and I should repay her by becoming stronger not whining like a brat."

Bulma looked horrified by this. It proved how Saiyans beat emotion out of their young, blindly calling it weaknesses. And yet Bulma's heart ached at the thought of a baby Kakarot not receiving any empathy or comfort after everything that he had endured.

However he squeezed her hand and shook his head. "Raditz was all I had. Father was so busy in the Labs or away on missions that Raditz took on the burden of training me. It wasn't easy I'm sure, I was a real brat. Energetic and strong, always searching for a release, but not possessing the ability to focus or concentrate long enough to learn control. Raditz persevered though, he thought me how to contain my power and become stronger. Then one day he left, and he never came back."

When Kakarot's dark eyes, etched with unbelievable pain and hurt, settled onto her again Bulma looked away as if the spell his story had created had just been broken. Colours and sounds blurred into her mind again as if seeping through the dark space they had created by remembering and imagining the pain. Reminding them that they weren't the only two people in the building. Not liking this conversation one bit Bulma snatched her hand away from Kakarot's as if he had burned her. She couldn't afford to care for Kakarot. It was a weakness she was in no position to harbour and even though she liked him she didn't want to be involved in his issues.

She was a badass bitch out for blood, she wasn't here to get emotional over a boy who had his feelings hurt and had to grow up fast.

"You remind me of her. That blue hair, it made me think of my mother." At those words Bulma felt the back of her eyes prick with unshed tears and she wondered what this Saiyan was doing to her. She was a cold woman, she cared only for revenge and regaining what she had lost.

"You're a great guy Kakarot." She heard the husky words that escaped her lips before she even felt them brush against her mind. Fortunately she was spared from any further sappy emotions when the server from the restaurant they had been lunching at appeared with more food for Kakarot.

Bestowing one of his rare boyish grins on her he attacked his food at full force, the sadness and tension disappearing from his body. She marvelled at his strength and at how he had grown so humble with the demons of his past. She felt a small twinge of shame at how she had dealt with her own ghosts and she cursed Kakarot for sharing his past with her. It was time to pretend again. Pretend this conversation had never happened.

"Kakarot, do we have to leave today?" Bulma whined as she gave her Saiyan guard her best pout.

Kakarot frowned at her. "Yes Bulma. Vegeta was very clear about our time limit. And you managed to sneak in some extra hours as is. He'll be royally pissed if we don't arrive back as expected."

Kakarot was right. She had managed to complete all the shopping for Vegeta and also purchase things that she herself had required. With the amount of shopping she had been doing it wasn't too difficult a feat to convince Kakarot her goods for her own experiments was for Vegeta. More so since he hadn't a clue what most equipment did and he showed no interest in learning either.

However Planet Leets was dull and boring. Its chilly atmosphere not a place she would have chosen for her first off planet visit. Not that she had had a choice in the matter. And though she had managed to find everything she needed here it still sucked. She wanted to visit some place better. A planet that could at least remind her of home. Somewhere where she could find a beach or hell even a river or stream. She wanted fresh air and flora.

"What if I told you we could leave the day after tomorrow and still reach Vegeta-sei on time?" Bulma smiled almost vindictively at Kakarot.

He frowned at her question. "How?"

"Well, I've managed to buy some pretty powerful nitrous here and I was thinking, if I could modify the ships engine to work like a Saiyan space pod and ensure it uses oxidized nitrous to propel the ship in space, we could be travelling at way over a speed of a thousand kilometres per a minute." Bulma babbled.

Kakarot could only stare open mouthed at her, some sauce from his meal dribbling down his strong chin. Noticing that Bulma had finished speaking he slowly closed his mouth and swallowed his food without properly chewing it first, too stunned to speak. With a tool in her hands, this woman was capable of doing anything?

Rubbing the back of his hand against his mouth, regaining himself from his dumbfounded-ness, Kakarot looked thoughtfully at his charge. "You know, it really has been a while since I had a chance to get off planet."

Bulma's eyes widened at this. "Oh please say yes Kakarot. It would be so much fun." She tempted.

"I'll say yes on one condition."

"Anything." Bulma nodded vigorously.

"I choose where we go to."

At this Bulma frowned a little, her dazzling smile diminishing as she felt the prospect of Kakarot choosing a destination for them would be boring. But he could always not agree to this plan and spy on her to Vegeta so she guessed she would have to compromise here.

"Ok." Bulma nodded extending her hand out to Kakarot. "But it better be some place fun."

Kakarot grinned widely at that and engulfed her smaller hand in his larger one. "Deal."

* * *

"Thank you." Bulma smiled genuinely at Kakarot before she turned back to gaze at the red sphere they were fast approaching.

They were almost nearing Vegeta-sei and they had been exhausted from their little detour off of Planet Leets. Once Bulma had quickly managed to modify their space ship they had taken off to Planet Namek. It hadn't even taken them a day to reach the planet.

It was amazing how Kakarot had managed to take her to a world she would like as if he had conjured one up specifically from her thoughts.

The planet was beautiful. Gorgeous green skies bathed lush blue terrain where green water ran peacefully along mountain beds. Tiny, white domed shaped homes dotted the planet and housed a peaceful bunch of Namekians. It had been a wondrous sight to behold. So reminiscent of what West City used to look like back on Earth.

Bulma had enjoyed meeting a friendly race that was so intelligent and endearing that it had made her laugh for the first time in years.

"There's no need to thank me. I did it for you as much as I did it for myself." Kakarot told her honestly.

She nodded yet couldn't help the content smile that graced her full lips. Yes, she understood the connection he had on the planet and with its people but she was glad he had taken her there. It helped her believe again. Not all planets and every being in the universe were murderous or evil. There was still good out there.

"Thank you." He spoke so softly she had almost not believed she had heard him.

"For?"

"For not telling Vegeta."

Bulma sighed. "Since you were honest with me and trusted me with a secret of this magnitude you deserve the same. I didn't tell Vegeta because I knew it wouldn't help me. If I thought it would have, then I wouldn't have kept it a secret. Also, I'd never intentionally hurt them." It was odd speaking words of truth for the very first time since she could remember being on Vegeta-sei. And to a Saiyan nonetheless. But it felt surprisingly appealing, as if the words had somehow lightened her darkened spirits.

Kakarot smirked at her and she thought he looked rather devilish when she could only see his side profile, black hair sticking up on ends. He didn't reply and neither did she. They just buckled their belts and waited to land in a companionable silence.

Bulma gathered her wandering thoughts and banded together the strange emotions that had been let loose in the six days she had been away from Vegeta-sei. Locking them away in a cold place where only her natural instincts of survival and her burning desire for revenge was stored. She donned on a cold, impassive mask and wore an air of emotional detachment to face what lay before her.

She was not done yet and she could not afford to be side tracked …

* * *

_**~ Six months Later ~**_

Bulma looked down at Kakarot's sleeping form. She brushed a few strands of stray hair from his face before stroking his strong cheek gently. She smiled sadly before turning away from him.

She felt a rush of guilt at her actions swell up inside her but she immediately forced it back down. She took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she opened her eyes. They seemed to be empty and withdrawn from sparking with laughter moments ago.

_She had been groaning about Kakarot's bad table manners while eating and he had opened his stuffed mouth to apologise when she had shot him a disparaging look of disgust. He had blinked and made to swallow his food. But as he often did when he rushed to speak while eating he had not chewed the morsels of meat properly before swallowing._

_He had choked and she had had to go over and knock at his back while he struggled to snort and spit out the offending food that blocked his windpipe. _

_Her hands had hurt from slapping at his steel like back and she later regretted the action. _

'_Damn Saiyans.'_ She muttered as she focused on the present again. Bulma ensured her capsules were securely stored in her dress pocket before checking that her syringe was safely harnessed inside her leather thigh garter. Face set in steely determination she walked out the door.

She lit a cigarette while she walked and puffed at the tobacco stick with relish. This was the perfect opportunity and she couldn't waste it. She had waited six months to accomplish this little goal and she was not going to let a little thing like her fondness for Kakarot dissuade her now. Eight years of misery could not be extinguished by six months of some kind of bizarre friendship. The only small pang of guilt she had felt was having to slip sedatives into Kakarot's food to keep him ignorant of what she was up to. However the guilt was miniscule at best, he would awaken unharmed after all.

It had been a relatively easy six months for her. She had fallen into some sort of dysfunctional routine. She worked from Cabba's home for the most part which she was grateful for. After creating satellites that could disable cloaking devices Vegeta had gone off to destroy planets in Frieza's rein with his army behind him. That meant she hadn't had anyone breathing down her neck continuously. Bardock often came by to monitor her progress and would offer help when she needed it but he wasn't persistent in his inspections. Sometimes Zorn would come by and he would be the only one besides Vegeta to rile her up and get under her skin.

He addressed her as "whore" and she hated it, however she managed to ignore his derogatory tone and scathing comments. Ironic, but she had learned that not responding to his hatred infuriated him and got him to leave sooner. She momentarily pondered whether she should take care of him but shrugged, deciding he wasn't worth her personal effort.

Since Kakarot never understood any of her experiments he didn't bother her while she worked. It was foolish but she knew he trusted her. And she used that to her advantage. During the times she was left unguarded she had managed to brew up her next scheme. After all she wasn't going to just sit back and work for the demanding Vegeta only. Oh no, while forced to be here she would make the most of it.

Bulma threw her cigarette away from her and tapped her scouter to get a more accurate reading on her target before increasing her pace. Stopping a few miles from where he was training she stood behind some large rocks, stalking her prey.

She smiled wickedly as she watched his muscular yet compact frame start to bulge muscles in strain. Removing her scouter and encapsulating it she dropped it safely unto the ground. Straightening her dress, pinching her cheeks and puckering her lips she walked out from behind the rocks.

"Hi." She called seductively to gain his attention.

He turned around and stared menacingly at the intruder before recognition flashed in his dark eyes. His bothered look turned into a lecherous smirk and Bulma smiled sweetly at that.

'_That's right you bastard, I'm here just for you.'_

She put one booted foot before the other and walked towards him. Slowly, hips swaying seductively, breasts pushed out temptingly and a siren smile adorning her glossy lips. She would not be a sexy woman to indulge in this time though; she was nothing but a harbinger of death …


	7. Chapter 7

_**Thank you all for your reviews. You guys are truly awesome!**_

**WARNING: BLOODY, GRUESOME AND SEXUAL CONTENT AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.**

* * *

**Revenge: An Earthling's Retribution**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Bulma walked determinedly towards him not showing any of her hatred for the man who had broken her completely.

"Hello Brolly." She whispered slowly as he smiled leeringly at her.

"To what do I owe this _pleasure_?" Brolly asked, enunciating the word "pleasure" in a way that he thought was incredibly sexy. Bulma just thought it was nauseatingly repulsive.

Bulma shrugged and smiled saccharinely up at him. She twirled a lock of blue hair around her finger and tried to act as dumb as possible. "I thought _I_ owed you since you seemed so _unsatisfied_ the last time we met."

He lifted his thick eyebrows at that and she knew she would have to be more convincing if she were to be successful today. Brolly wasn't a complete idiot after all. But she knew at the end of the day he was still just a man. There were only a very few whom her feminine wiles would not work on.

"Is that so? The last I heard you were shacking up with that third class warrior Kakarot." Brolly told her astutely.

Bulma pouted at this and looked to Brolly. "He has taken over from Cabba for a while now." Bulma confirmed the lie Vegeta had insisted they use as a cover story. "But he isn't any fun. Sickeningly regular and boring." Bulma looked suggestively up and down Brolly's muscular frame, his upper half naked, and she bit her bottom lip seductively.

Before she could blink he materialised before her with super speed. She hated when Saiyans did that. He grabbed her loose hair from behind and pulled her head back painfully. He lowered his own head over hers and whispered in her face. He wasn't as refined as he believed himself to be, Bulma thought as spittle landed on her face. It was a testament to how brilliant her acting skills were when she didn't wince from disgust. If she were back on Earth now, she would have definitely won an Oscar award for her performances thus far.

Bulma watched his features draw into shrewd assessment of her motives as he grinned roguishly over his hold on her. He delighted in causing pain and misery and it was those lines of pleasure that contorted a seemingly innocent face to a wickedly nightmarish one.

"I see a lot of things in those pretty eyes of yours, but lust isn't one of them." Brolly observed.

'_Think Bulma. Think.'_ She mentally coached herself. His hold on her head was aggressive and starting to hurt. She wanted to just knee him in his groin and get on with it. "It" being the reason for her presence there, but she knew that could become ugly and dangerous for her. Bulma lifted a soft palm towards his chest and caressed his skin with a feather light touch. It distracted him enough for him to slightly loosen his fingers in her hair, although he still held her head firmly in place.

She closed her eyes briefly so she could imagine a sexy man before her; not Brolly. She pretended that she was going to have wild sex with her date after a romantic dinner and an aphrodisiacal dessert. Willingly images of a delicious body came into mind. He was broad shouldered and muscular and his bronze skin made her think of sticky, sultry honey. She licked her lips in appreciation at this and when she opened her eyes she looked straight through Brolly. A contrivance she had honed for years now. When he looked into her eyes this time he definitely saw the lust he demanded her eyes bestow upon him. Pity he was too blind to notice that it wasn't for him though.

He smiled in a revolting fashion and Bulma shivered in his hold, grateful he assumed her shiver was because she was turned on by him and not disgusted by him. He crushed her lips to his in a bruising kiss. He was a cocky bastard. Years of experience had Bulma kissing him back in practiced expertise that could not have him questioning her want for him. Brolly released her hair so his hands could grip her bottom and roughly pull her into his erection with an animal like growl.

Bulma gave a well-timed moan of fake pleasure and roved her hands over his back before pleasurably stroking his tail. He shuddered against her and she inwardly smiled. She risked breaking their kiss and was glad to see he was too immersed in his pleasure that he didn't mind. He made to move towards her again but Bulma reared back shaking her head at him.

"May we go somewhere a little more private?" She asked, looking around the barren lands that were visibly open to prying eyes. Bulma hoped that her request would not be turned down. He frowned at her and she licked her lips to stop his brain from thinking rationally, hoping her lips implanted thoughts of wet kisses and hot tongues in his mind. His eyes darted to her moist and kiss swollen lips before he grunted and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulders.

Bulma rolled her eyes at him but relief awarded her a small smile. She petted his brown tail and it curled around her wrist, the course hair bristling under her touch. Bulma made gagging noises behind his back and stuck out her pink tongue at his tail. She then grabbed one butt cheek and he growled his approval at her. He walked for a while before approaching large, red volcano hills nearby a lake. The water shone red from the overhead sky as if it were made from blood itself. It truly represented the blood lust of Saiyans but Bulma thought now it would symbolise her own thirst for blood.

"Here's ok." She told him softly and she was glad when he didn't argue.

Brolly set her down abruptly and pulled her to him once again. He kissed her more brutally than before and grabbed one of her breasts. Bulma had to work hard not to cringe at his disgusting assault of her body. She grinded her hips against his and arched into him. His hands lowered, roaming towards the apex of her thighs and Bulma knew if his hand found how dry she was he would become angry and unpredictable.

Lifting a thigh seductively against Brolly's hip, her dress hitched over her skin and undetected she pulled out the syringe from her garter. Quickly, without hesitation, Bulma stuck the syringe into Brolly's neck and she felt him stiffen immediately. His hands were still around her body and his head still bent towards her neck.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to play anymore?" Bulma stood on the tip of her toes and whispered mockingly into his ear before removing herself from his repulsive embrace. His limbs were heavy but she managed just fine to move away from him. She noticed his eyes cloud in confusion as his pupils darted around wildly. Nothing else seemed to move though, not a twitch from his nose or a curl of his lips, and he stared almost lifelessly at her. Bulma chuckled victoriously.

She lifted her left wrist and pressed a few buttons on her watch. Instantly an electric shield of blue energy sprung forth and entrapped the paralysed Saiyan and Bulma in a cave like barrier. She smiled triumphantly at this.

"Chin up Brolly." She teased as she firmly lifted his bowing head with her index finger. Stepping back Bulma admired her handy work before nodding approvingly. "Much better." She gave him a blasé wink.

She then dug into her dress pocket to pull out a purple labelled capsule. She threw it on the floor and a sword was released, glittering magnificently in the sunlight. She picked up the surprisingly light weapon and held it towards the light. It sparkled from its recent polish and Bulma bravely twirled it in her hands.

"Now I'm going to show you what it's like to be completely helpless and at the mercy of someone else." She said coldly as she placed the tip of the sharp blade against his chest. "With no ability to defend yourself."

Scraping it against his chest she grinned maliciously at the trail of blood that appeared on his pectoral muscles.

"Oh but how silly of me. You're probably wondering why you can't move right? Mmm, well let me tell you then. You see in your neck I injected you with a special serum that affected your nervous system. None of your muscles are working. Except miraculously your eyes. Yep, I isolated the retina tissues so you could still see and ensured your ocular motility wouldn't be affected so you could watch everything I'm going to do to you. I'm way better at mechanical engineering you know, but being a genius with a scientist father really adds an advantage to my gene pool. I'm glad it worked. I really wanted you to watch this." Bulma batted her mascara lengthened eyelashes at him before smiling wickedly.

Then she drew back the sword.

"Let's start with those strong hands shall we? The very same hands that punched me into a pulp … almost." She growled out as she strongly wielded the sword to cut of his right arm. She knew he couldn't feel anything but the way his eyes widened at the sight of his limb dropping uselessly to the ground had Bulma laugh out wildly before she removed his other hand in one fluid swipe, pleased with the superior craftsmanship of her weapon.

Blood sprayed her face but she ignored it and breathed in deeply. The acidic smell of her enemy's blood didn't make her want to wretch in disgust but rather crow in victory. She couldn't believe how beautifully her plan was coming together. Everything fell into place as if the heavens itself was behind her, egging her on to revel in her hatred for this man.

Bulma just hoped she wasn't caught in the act like the last time. Nothing ever went this well without something failing later on. Swallowing back the first tastes of fear that soured her tongue and ignoring unbidden images of a murderous Vegeta, Bulma looked back at Brolly. This time she needn't look straight through him. She could openly display her hatred for him.

She then used the sword to swipe at his pants and the white and red material slid to his feet with a pool of blood. Smiling wickedly Bulma looked at his manhood which was still aroused from their earlier kissing. Now it stood frozen in its upright state.

"The slimy worm that violated me." She spat in disgust as she needlessly lifted the sword above her head. Their images reflected against the buzzing shield around them and her blue eyes took in the sight with surreal appreciation. She felt a sick sense of immense pride being breathed into her soul at a man obviously so strong and powerful standing stiff as cardboard before her. And she, she looked like a bloody crazy warrior Princess about to reap reprisal for having her being embittered. With a violent scream that sounded from the depths of her tarnished, broken heart and soul Bulma dismembered him. The appendage fell to the ground and Bulma panted slightly from her efforts.

But that was not the last straw, no, far from it. She hunched slightly over the sword that was poked into the now muddy sand, wet with Brolly's blood, and Bulma recollected her breath. She glanced sideways at Brolly and she read disgust and mockery at feeling weak from her little exertion in his eyes. Instantly Bulma felt emancipated all over again. Strength and courage seeped into her every pore and she inhaled deeply the power of her position. She winked at him before pulling out another syringe from her garter. Bulma stood up strongly again and with the sword in one hand she jabbed the syringe forcefully into the man's chest, smiling deviously up at him.

His body was suddenly spurred into life and he dropped to his knees from the sudden jerks of his torso moving. The pain seemed to descend upon him violently and he howled in agony. Yet he was useless to strike back. Brolly fell onto his knees and his screams threatened to give them away.

"Oh shut up will you." Bulma groaned as she walked around him. His tail was swinging back and forth in pain and discomfort and Bulma smirked at that. "You see this shield around us?" Bulma asked as she motioned with a bloody hand towards the electric blue currents that surrounded them. "It creates a soundproof barrier so no one can hear your pathetic whining. It also cuts out any waves that you may think to use. You know, like telepathy." Bulma smiled proudly at him.

"You'll pay for this." He sputtered, his breathing ragged from the sudden waves of pain that flooded every cell in him. With the regaining of working muscles it seemed like every ounce of pain from her blows had jolted through his system as well. It burned and clawed at him and he desperately wanted to pull his shoulder length hair from his scalp. Ironically though, he had no hands.

Yet Bulma only smiled and walked around him. "Oh I don't think so." She bent down so she could whisper into his ears. He violently jerked away from her causing him to fall onto his side. With only his legs he felt strangely disorientated. Surprised he was able to stay upright without his arms. But then again, she had cut of _both_ of his hands.

Bulma huffed at this and placed her sword onto the ground. Picking up one of his severed limbs Bulma used his own hand to whack him over the head as hard as she could.

Brolly groaned, not from any pain her weak blows were dealing him, but from the shame and disgust of being hit over the head with your own hand. "You sick whore." He screamed at Bulma feeling his mind losing sanity.

She then dropped his bloody arm and went to him. Her own hands digging into his wounded shoulders she hoisted him back onto his knees.

"I'm not done yet." She muttered as she puffed harshly from pulling him up. "You'd think you'd be lighter now without any arms." Bulma complained as she finally managed to bring him back to his knees. Her fingers and nails digging into his exposed flesh and he howled in pain. "Now stay this way or I'll be forced to do something you really don't like." Bulma threatened.

He glared maliciously at her and Bulma only laughed at this. What more could she do to him? His eyes asked. Oh, but there was something more to be done.

Bulma picked up her sword again and smiled brightly at him. His head lifted to look at her and while her hands lowered his eyes widened, his mouth rounding in a perfect 'o' of screaming. "No!"

"Yes!" Bulma declared as she sliced of his tail.

Brolly cried in horror as his tail was taken away from him. To de-tail a Saiyan was the worst kind of punishment and shame any Saiyan could receive. It was their most valued appendage, the most precious gift, the reason for their strength and she had so easily taken it away from him. He howled in pain at his loss, the intensity of his tail gone burning more pugnaciously than any pain she could have inflicted on his being.

"I wonder if I should leave you to live like this. No tail, no dick. No arms even." She laughed vengefully at him and he screamed bloody murder, hailing curses at her in ardent hatred. "No, I want you to rot in the darkest, deepest pits of hell. Life is too good for you. Even one where you'd live like this." She told him sinfully.

Bulma walked around him again. She touched a tear on his cheek and rubbed it between her thumb and fingers as if testing its validity.

She feigned surprise at this as she faced him. "Oh Brolly. I didn't know you could cry." Bulma taunted.

She remembered clearly when he had mocked her own tears and memories of that day impounded into her skull. Bulma closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. She opened her eyes and stared almost sightlessly at the Saiyan before her.

"I guess I should thank you, you know. For finally brining me out of my drunken like stupor. I had become nothing but a hollow being that lived only as a body to do as my mistress willed. But then you came along. And you reminded me of whom I truly am. And you had me see that I was still alive. And as long as there was breath in my body I vowed to fight against you monsters. I was damaged, but not broken." Bulma smiled almost wistfully. "But I'm not going to thank you. Do you know why?"

"Fuck you, you evil bitch. No one gives a shit about your stupid feelings." Brolly spat at her. Not wanting to hear anymore of her ridiculous babbling. His mind tried to come up with an escape plan or a way to kill her at least. If he was going to hell, he would be sure to drag her there with him.

Bulma lifted a hand and slapped him hard across his face. She ignored the solid pain that drummed in her palm and the sharp pull that tugged at her wrist. "If you play nice Brolly I might let you live."

At this, his eyes widened fractionally. If she let him live at least he'd be able to get revenge on her for what she did to him. But he really didn't want to face anyone in this pathetic state. She might as well kill him. But dying at her hands and not in a glorious battle irked his Saiyan pride. It also scared him. Having a chance to think of whether you could live or die. Death was not something he was welcoming. The unknown always inspired fear.

Bulma lifted her leg and kicked him onto his back. "I'm really enjoying this you know. All these Saiyan men dropping like bugs on their backs for me. It's eerily reminiscent of all the times you made me lay on my back."

Brolly felt his legs give way under him as he fell onto his back. His muscular legs straightening out before him. He could still use his legs, the only limbs he possessed now, he knew it was much stronger than her entire body put together. He waited for her to come closer as he lay helplessly on the ground, blood streaming from him.

Bulma walked closer towards him, too lost in her psychotic rambling to notice that Brolly was concocting a scheme. Too late did she realise she was in trouble when his strong legs kicked out at her. His booted foot connected with her stomach and Bulma flew back into her own shield. With a crackling sound her dress seared from the pure electricity of her shield and her skin was scorched as she moaned in pain. Bulma watched as Brolly managed to somehow struggle onto his feet. He looked like an asylum patient in a strait jacket without his arms. But the thought of him being handicapped didn't make him any less scary.

Bulma clutched at her stomach and she was sure she was going to throw up her meagre lunch. She couldn't breathe as with every inhalation her tummy cramped as if the muscles there were engaging in a fierce battle.

She watched Brolly trying to balance himself as he walked towards her. He couldn't walk away from her without deactivating the energy shield she had constructed, although he could easily just break her watch. However he showed no inclination of escaping, he was heading straight for her. His contemptuous eyes promised painful retribution.

Ignoring her pain and knowing it was do or die time Bulma scrambled onto her hands and knees. Adrenaline from sheer determination and fear of being killed spurred her into action. She crawled towards her fallen sword, panting in desperation. She watched Brolly try to make his way towards her. Although changing his direction was more difficult than it seemed with his body struggling to regain its original poise with both arms missing.

Bulma quickly clutched onto the sword and brandished it across Brolly's leg. He immediately crumbled like a dilapidated building and a sigh of relief escaped Bulma's mouth. She deflated slightly, shoulders slumping in relief as Brolly screamed in agony at her. It had happened so quickly and she was glad she had made contact with his leg. She ignored his cursing, trying to calm her erratic breathing while on her knees, a hand clutching her chest. She pushed her hair away from her sweaty face. Running her fingers through the length of her locks and she could feel the ends brittle and burned from her electric shield. Bulma tenderly checked the singed skin on her shoulders, ignoring the awful smell of charred hair and flesh mixed with fresh blood. She grimaced at the raw flesh on her shoulder blades but decided she could fix them later.

After she was sure she wouldn't collapse from pain and fatigue Bulma willed herself to get up off her knees. Then she made her way towards Brolly.

"Stay away from me." He moaned in real panic, finally realising how hopeless he was and not liking it one bit.

"Now do you know why I'm not going to thank you Brolly?" Bulma asked sweetly as if his little attack just now hadn't happened. As if he trying to save himself was the reason she couldn't thank him. She moved to stand over him, legs spread apart on either side of him. Then she lowered herself to straddle him, making sure she was sitting on his stomach. As she sat above him, knees entrenched in the bloodied, wet sand, her inner thighs soaked from the blood that seeped from Brolly's dismemberment and onto his stomach he gave her his best evil glare. Bulma couldn't help but find it lacking.

"No." He found himself answering furiously.

"Because _you_ did this to me, you bastard." Bulma cried and for the first time there was pure anguish and regret laced in her voice and expressed on her face. "If you hadn't come to Nion's House that day I would have continued to live in a world of cold oblivion. I would have floated into nothingness until I became nothing but death myself. And when I was eventually offed I could have been with the rest of my kind." Tears of loss and possibly shame trailed bloody lines down her porcelain skin.

"But now I'm a ruthless killer. A cold blooded murderer. And when I die I won't be sent to live with my kind. I'll probably be meeting you in hell." Bulma laughed harshly at that.

It was true. She would never find peace in the afterlife. Not after her miraculous accomplishments of death and destruction. But then again, everything would be worth it if she could regain what she had lost. Hell in the afterlife was a small price to pay if she didn't have to live in hell in this life anymore.

"But it's too late for regrets now." Bulma smiled sadly at Brolly.

"You're insane." Brolly spat at her. Now almost scared of the look in her devious blue eyes.

"Maybe." Bulma said softly as she shrugged.

Brandishing the sword above her head Bulma plunged the sharp blade into his chest and even when his blood sprayed at her she didn't close her eyes. She wanted to watch his life leave his eyes. Feeling him jerk beneath her hands she listened as his last breath whispered from his lips, before he was finally claimed by death.

* * *

Bulma had fumbled with the tools as she wired a piece of Brolly's flesh so she could encapsulate his body. She had cursed and grumbled as finally her nimble figures got the job done.

Now she stood in the reddish water of the lake trying desperately to wash away the blood that stained her hands and body. Using the special blood cleanser she had managed to create it became less difficult to do.

However now that her adrenaline had subsided her body gave way to racked sobs as she cried. Oh she wasn't crying for Brolly, no of course not. She was crying for her lost innocence and her warped sense of justification. She couldn't remember when she thought that death would make everything bad she felt go away. It made her feel worse. But she couldn't quench the voice in her head. The one that had kept her going whenever she hit rock bottom. The one that was so wicked and tortured that she couldn't help but listen as it commanded her to seek revenge. It literally pleaded with her to hurt and relish in it when she had first tried to refuse it.

Brolly was right, she was sick. Mentally senile. But she didn't mind. If she didn't do what she did then the Saiyans would just get away with all that _they did_.

Bulma took in a deep breath before submerging herself completely into the lake. Her eyes burned at keeping them open underwater but she didn't care. It hid her tears and made her feel less shameful. As if she was partaking in some sacred cleansing ceremony that purified her being.

Suddenly she was pulled out of the water by her hair and stifling hot air rushed into her lungs making them burn slightly. She had become quite acclimatised to the horrid heat of Vegeta-sei though there were still times when she hated it with a passion. Wishing sometimes that she could feel cold winds or flakes of pure white snow on her skin.

Bulma was released just as harshly as she was pulled out from the water and she turned to glare menacingly at her assailant as she wiped her hands over her face before sliding them over her head to push back her hair from her face.

"Vegeta." She said in relief.

"What in the blazes were you doing woman?" He growled at her.

She ignored his comment and turned her back on him.

"Do not turn your back on me when I speak to you, you disobedient bitch." Vegeta roared as a ball of ki was tossed into the lake near her. It expelled in size as it travelled towards the bottom. Not before it made Bulma shriek as she jumped like a fish out of water though. Slashes of pale red liquid spraying her face and body like a small wave.

She wiped her face again before turning around to glare daggers at Vegeta.

"What the hell do you want Vegeta?" She was in no mood to deal with the homicidal Saiyan Prince and she wished she could make him disappear with her mind. However her brain wasn't _that_ brilliant.

"I asked you a question you vile woman."

"Gosh, you're nicer than usual Vegeta." Bulma mocked as she had never before been insulted in every single remark or question he had posed to her. "What's eating you?"

"Nothing is _eating_ me woman." She noticed he sometimes drawled out words when he spoke. Like "eating" just now. He drew out the sounds as if it were a sensual word made to caress the senses. Bulma shook her head wondering where that had come from. _'Probably been spending too much time with him. I _am_ very observant.'_

"I came down to the lake for a swim." Bulma told him.

"Where is that idiot Kakarot? He's supposed to be watching you at all times."

"He trusts me Vegeta. I'm hardly a threat to anyone." Bulma rolled her eyes at him for effect.

"I'm sure that's what my father thought as well. Not to mention Cabba." Vegeta contradicted knowingly.

At his words Bulma immediately stiffened. She turned around to stare at him, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh don't play games with me woman. Your innocent act only works on that third class clown. You see I did some research on Cabba being off planet. It seems like he's on a mission somewhere in the West galaxy. With a few other Saiyans"

"So?" Bulma asked indifferently, one blue eyebrow arched.

"Don't interrupt me woman." Vegeta warned with a low growl.

"I thought you were done." Bulma shrugged and was pleased to see his left eye twitch. It was something she had noticed during all the hours of work they put in together. Whenever she annoyed him or became verbally combative with him his frustration would show in his left eye. She actually thought it was quite funny. Until a vein in his left temple began to bulge. That spelt trouble. Bulma decided to remain silent and wait for him to speak not wanting to risk the popping of his vein.

"The problem is woman, no one remembers assigning those idiots on a mission in that quadrant of space. No one but you maybe."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Bulma lied skilfully.

"Like hell you don't. I don't believe Cabba and the other missing Saiyans ever left this Planet since their last mission."

"What could that mean then?" Bulma didn't bother hiding the sarcastic bite in her voice. There was no point. She knew Vegeta already came to his own conclusions on Cabba's mystical disappearance. She was also positive he was right.

"It means you evil, vindictive creature that you planted that mission report in our systems so no one would know that you killed Cabba." Vegeta told her as he pointed an accusing finger at her.

She didn't know why she did what she did but in hindsight seeing the evil glint of murderous proportions in Vegeta's blazing dark eyes she had only felt the need to flee.

Without making another response she dove into the water and started fluidly stroking through the lake to try and put as much distance between Vegeta and herself as possible.

She hadn't frequently had the chance to swim but she was glad that she often managed to sweet talk Cabba into taking her to lakes. It was her only form of exercise and she had always been good at it. She swam as fast as she could, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She sensed him before he reached her. She felt the ripples of his own movements in the water beside her and like a shark scenting blood he was definitely closing in on her.

'_Damn him.'_ Bulma's mind cursed as she tried to quicken her strokes. She felt his strong hand clasp at her ankle and pull her deeper into the water. Bulma kicked out as she tried to move out of his grasp. But his hold only tightened on her, his other hand wrapping around her free ankle like tentacles of an octopus. A very angry, dangerous octopus. Vegeta weighed on her body to pull her deeper into the water. He used brute force to pull her almost towards the bed of the lake before he grabbed her arms and straightened her to look at him. Her toes could almost feel the bottom of the lake as they floated across from each other.

Small bubbles rippled from her nose and she knew she was fast losing whatever breath she had been able to capture into her chest before being pulled under.

And then he smirked at her. Looking less than ruffled after swimming as much as she had and still being under water. _'Bastard Saiyan and his inhuman strength.'_

Bulma closed her eyes not wanting to look at his annoying face. After trying to stay strong her composure shook and she opened her eyes to stare at him. He was watching her intently and Bulma stared menacingly at him. Seriously, he didn't plan on drowning her did he? She lifted an eyebrow at him and he pulled her out of the water.

Bulma gasped as air rushed back into her lungs in burning waves. She gurgled water as she tried to speak. "You .." sputter. "fucking …" sputter. "bastard!" Bulma cursed and she was rewarded with a dark chuckle.

Chest heaving, she wiped her face and moved her hair away from her eyes and mouth before glaring at Vegeta.

"It was your idea to have me chase you woman. Don't complain because you couldn't swim fast enough." He mocked her looking far too pleased with himself for her liking.

Bulma screeched and she made to slap him. She was furious and she wanted so badly to wipe that arrogant smirk of his face. He easily caught her wrist in his hand though and she couldn't do anything but be pulled towards him. She noticed then that he didn't have his gloves on or his armour and shirt. _'He got rid of _all_ of that and still managed to catch me. Damn he's fast.'_ Bulma thought before feeling her heaving chest brush against his own bare muscular pectorals. Her eyes darted to his.

"That won't work on me woman." He told her harshly.

"What?" Bulma felt slightly breathless. Her eyes clouded with confusion.

"Using your feminine wiles to try and outsmart me. I am completely immune to them. In fact I think you're so hideous I find it truly difficult to understand how any real Saiyan would be turned on by you. Then become so blind that they cannot sense your true motives." Vegeta insulted.

She felt her vanity waver at his outright insult to her beauty. It wasn't that she was narcissistic really, but she was a woman after all. A woman who had relied heavily on only her beauty to survive. A beauty that had kept her alive and had then aided her with her revenge. She was not hideous and she couldn't believe he thought that of her. Did her really think she was ugly? Her body burned in need to prove him wrong. If it was one thing Bulma Briefs could not resist, either the one she used to be or the one she was now, was a bloody challenge.

"Disgusting." He spat vehemently as he released her wrists and moved a little away from her.

"Is that so?" Bulma questioned as she floated a little closer towards him. She watched his eyes narrow at her.

Bulma reached forward and placed her tiny palms against his chest before caressing her way towards his shoulders. She used his solidity to bring herself closer to him once more. She made sure her chest brushed against his again.

"What are you doing?" He demanded between grit teeth.

"You called me hideous Vegeta. You claimed that you are completely immune to my charms. Prove it."

Those two words were like a full moon to Vegeta, making his blood boil in his veins as his heart thumped wildly in his chest. The sound thundered in his ears, urging him to give in to his primal instincts. There was no way Vegeta could resist her challenge. He was too proud to ignore a dare, too determined to be the best at everything. Yet he found himself remaining still as he felt her full breasts pushed against his bare chest. Damn her. He should have not taken off his armour and body suit to follow her but he had done so on instinct when he decided he would dive in and give chase.

Bulma trailed her hands down his shoulders and memorised his muscular biceps. His skin was hot even in the water and she felt her mouth dry slightly as his rock hard muscles flexed beneath her palms.

Underneath the water Bulma grabbed his wrist and tugged him. Using the flow of water Bulma guided Vegeta towards a shallower end of the lake. Of course he had the strength to refuse and yet he allowed her to pull him with her. A small victory that made Bulma smile.

As they approached the banks of the lake Bulma stopped and turned around to face Vegeta again. The water swayed against their hips and she smiled sweetly up at him. She noticed traces of scars that lingered on his chest and she felt the sudden urge to reach out and touch them. Her fingers trailed the fine lines that marred his otherwise perfect skin and his eyelids lowered to watch her movements. He wore them proudly and she felt a sudden rush of danger infiltrate her senses. Which was weird since she somehow always found herself in dangerous situations. She pushed out her creamy breasts tantalisingly and she was pleased to see his eyes drift lower to gaze at her naked flesh before he looked right at her again.

"Pathetic." He muttered but Bulma couldn't help but be encouraged by the absence of any bite to his words.

Bulma lifted her hands to the thick column of his neck using her almost pruned fingers to massage the stiffness she felt there. He continued to remain stoic though so she wound her hands in the wet mass of black hair that was now drenched and falling thickly down his back.

"I didn't know your hair was this long." Bulma realised she didn't have to fake anything near Vegeta as her voice sounded husky on its own.

"Stupid woman." He said but it was almost as soft as a gravelly endearment whispered to dance across her bare skin.

"Vegeta." Bulma moaned involuntarily as she lowered her mouth to his shoulder.

She placed an innocent kiss onto his shoulder before opening her mouth to turn her chaste kiss into a sexy feel of tongue on flesh. She licked the water from his shoulder trailing her tongue upwards towards his neck. He was hot in her mouth and his skin tasted decadently rich. He remained as unaffected as before though and Bulma felt anger blaze inside of her.

She reared her head to look at him and she was frustrated to see him smirk maddeningly at her efforts, seemingly untouched by them.

'_Fine. Let's play.'_ Bulma thought as she furiously pulled his head towards her. He allowed her this and she briefly wondered if it was out of curiosity or because he wanted to kiss her. She pressed her full pouty lips against his firm sensual ones.

She thrust her tongue past his lips and was pleased when he allowed her access into his mouth. She teased his own tongue as she wriggled against him trying to hold onto him and not slip beneath the water they floated in. The blasted man still remained unaffected as before though and Bulma growled. It was like deja vu though. Images of him trying to kiss her in her cell sardonically bombarded her mind.

Bulma growled in frustration and was about to pull back when she felt his strong hand hold her against him. Her eyes popped open and she was surprised to see Vegeta hadn't closed his eyes.

They were blazing condemnation and ridicule at her. Although when his hands tightened around her small waist she saw it. Something she had seen so often that she almost always expected it to be present near her. Lust.

He moved her towards the edge of the bank never moving his lips away from hers. As she felt her bottom press into the muddy bank she felt Vegeta's erection press into her inner thighs. She still looked into his eyes as he kissed her. _Really kissed her._

It was weird. All thoughts of games and seduction or challenges flew out of her mind. His hot tongue seared her own as it sought to tame her rebellious movements. Vegeta's taste was indescribable. It was like nothing she had ever tasted before. Yet she felt like it was the most delicious thing in the Universe. His hands trailed her hips and waist ascending to just under her breasts. His rough thumbs circled her sensitive flesh and for the first time in her life Bulma Briefs felt pleasure from a man's touch.

She pulled back from his kiss. Holding his shoulders while trying to compose herself. She tried to remember that this was Vegeta. The Prince of all Killers. A race she abhorred and wanted dead. This was a man who had robbed her of her freedom. Who had beaten her bloody. And yet here he was kissing her and she enjoyed it.

She waited for the disdain to settle in, to throw up in his face in disgust or even to feel regret and repulsion over his actions. Yet all she felt was a need to have him kiss her again. To have his mouth brand hers as his tongue lavished her own with desire.

Was this the all elusive chemistry that was just sexual, that could never be explained? Was this the fiery explosion of all common sense when two sexually compatible people where engaging in an experiment of intimacy? Was this what lust felt like?

Bulma's mind tried to recognise her situation and she tried to understand all her components. She had never felt lust before. She had never been turned on before. Was this what it felt like? It was completely wrong. None of the variables added up. She always thought she could figure out the opposite sex like a complex mathematical equation and yet she never expected to ever feel anything remotely like lust for a _Saiyan_. It just didn't add up. She hated him. So how could she want him?

Sensing her inner turmoil Vegeta smirked wickedly at her. "Do not play games you have no understanding off woman." Vegeta mocked her.

Frowning at this Bulma lifted her head to look at him. He seemed to understand her confusion better than she did. Well of course he had more knowledge than she did. He never had to be a whore. He obviously engaged in sex for the sheer pleasure of it. This was a novel experience for her. Feeling resentment and disgust finally rise inside of her like bile. But it wasn't aimed at Vegeta, it was directed solely at her and her inexplicable feelings. Bulma looked away from him although they still stood intimately intertwined.

Without replying she pulled his head towards her again. This time he needed no encouragement from her. And although his kiss was harsh and bruising it made her lips tingle and her belly clench in … in something. But she was glad for the harshness of his kiss. It reminded her of who she was and who he was.

She felt his tail snake around her thigh and Bulma immediately flinched. It was now or never.

Thanking the God's she had had the good sense to keep her garter on her she pulled out a spare syringe. Innocuously, Bulma aimed it at the Saiyan Prince. She stabbed it into his thigh and she felt his eyes widen before he growled furiously at her.

She was grateful she was at the embankment of the lake as the heavy Prince's dead weight began to drag her down into the water. She struggled to pull him out of the water but she miraculously managed to do so after much effort.

Huffing away Bulma sunk onto her knees and tried to regain her breath. She looked curiously at the unconscious Saiyan Prince. She knew there would be hell to pay when he awoke but she was looking forward to rubbing this in his face. Besides, he would never kill her now. She was still working for him. He needed her. Bulma pulled out the syringe from his thigh and dropped it on his chest like a tormenting signature. She childishly stuck out her tongue at him before she got up.

Jumping back into the lake Bulma swam away from him towards her clothes.


	8. Chapter 8

**WARNING: CRUDE LANGUAGE, SEXUAL CONTENT AND MILD VIOLENCE AHEAD! **

* * *

**Revenge: An Earthling's Retribution**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Kakarot drowsily rubbed his eyes open as he lethargically sat up on the couch he had been sleeping on. He looked at the open plan kitchen window and noticed the sun was starting to set in the horizon.

He frowned at that. It had been midday when Bulma and he had had lunch and now the sun was setting. Vegeta-sei had twenty-eight hour days. Had he slept for that long? He remembered feeling extra tired after his unusually large meal – even for himself – when Bulma had insisted he napped while she worked in her room.

Kakarot got to his feet, ready to go to Bulma's room and check up on her when Cabba's front door was violently swung open. The wood jumped from its top hinges leaving the door askew. He immediately crouched into a fighting stance; relaxing when he noticed it was only Vegeta.

"Prince Vegeta." Kakarot greeted with his normal bow after straightening up. However he gained no response from Vegeta which made Kakarot look properly at his Prince.

Vegeta's eyes were blood shot and his face was burning a bright shade of red. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides and his tail bristled around his waist. He was furious and Kakarot almost expected to see steam billowing from Vegeta's ears.

"Where is she?" Vegeta demanded menacingly without even looking at Kakarot, his eyes sweeping the modest house he was in. Vegeta tapped his scouter a few times before he walked stiffly towards Bulma's bedroom door. "Stay out of this." He warned Kakarot as he pushed open Bulma's door before slamming it closed again.

Vegeta removed his advanced scouter, which Bulma had loaded with valuable information for him, and tucked it away safely inside his armour. His eyes searched her tiny room, wondering where the hell she was. His scouter easily picked up on her presence in her room and yet he couldn't see her.

"Woman." Vegeta barked viciously as he lifted the blankets from her cot to see if she was hiding underneath it. Her room was sparsely furnished and he didn't know where else she could be hiding. His frustrations heightened as his eyes narrowed in his search for her. Vegeta ran his hand through his hair letting out an angry growl. After her little stunt at the lake he had been furious on awakening to find that damn syringe lying mockingly on him.

By then his fury had only managed to simmer dangerously while he came over here. Technological advancements be damned, he was finally going to murder her. And he was going to enjoy every single moment of it. How dare she attack him in such a demeaning and cunning way and then leave him there like some dead corpse? His mind tried to reason that at least she hadn't killed him but instead of calming him those thoughts put him in a deeper rage. How had he been so blind to leave himself open to her in the first place?

He had sworn immunity to her feminine wiles, yet when he had kissed her he had been so focused on fucking her that she had bested him. He had thought her completely naked, unseeing of the sedative loaded syringe she held in that blasted leather strap of hers. He had been so focused on wondering what her full breasts would feel like in his hands and not rubbing tauntingly against his chest that he had allowed her to inject him. Fucking inject him. Not a punch or a kick or even a slap or scratches. Another growl at this mental admission erupted from his throat. Oh he was going to kill her.

In his frustration he swiped a hand furiously across her table causing everything on it to scatter across the room haphazardly. He then screamed in rage as he turned over the large steel table causing it to fly across the room and thump into a wall with a satisfying crash. He heard a squeak and his hands stopped in mid-air from firing ki blasts to draw her out of hiding.

Vegeta's eyes narrowed as he tried to find the source of the noise. He stared at the opposite wall he was facing and then walked towards it. Slowly.

"I know you're in here woman." Besides his scouter he could literally smell her. That flowery scent that he knew so well. A light scent that was uniquely hers. And it wasn't because he was in her room it was because it was emanating from her. After all the time he had spent in her company he could tell the difference.

He had never worked in close proximity to an attractive female without fucking her before and he found the concept rather strange. However he did not want to complicate matters. He also saw the way Bulma used her charm and exotic good looks to get her way. Even when his Saiyans didn't realise it. Bardock, Kakarot and any other buffoon she wanted something from. Besides Zorn of course. And so Vegeta took pride in not being susceptible to her innocent face and enticing body that was made to be fucked.

Yes, if ever he came across a woman that begged to be fucked in every way imaginable it was that cold, calculating bitch. She possessed a novelty he found intriguing. She wasn't like the Saiyan females he normally indulged in. There wasn't a single muscle in her dainty frame. She was all soft flesh and thick curves dressed in the silkiest skin he had ever felt before. And seeing her naked made him realise that in clothes her natural splendour was never done justice.

At first he had thought that it was the novelty of never having bedded an alien female before. So then he had went in search of the most pleasurable woman the Universe had to offer, after great success in purging missions of Frieza's territory. Only to be left feeling warily unsatisfied. Disdain roared to life inside of him instantly dousing his throbbing erection that images of the blue haired bitch had brought on.

Vegeta lifted a hand to touch the stone wall, running his flat palms against the hard surface as if searching for a hidden passageway. He frowned when he found nothing there. Did she manage to make herself invisible somehow? Or did she encapsulate herself in one of those freakish capsules of hers? But she had told him it was impossible to encapsulate a live being inside.

"I don't know why you're so angry at me. You were the one who instigated the challenge and now you're upset because I've won."

Vegeta's head whipped around again at her voice. She huffed at him but he could tell her voice held traces of fear in it when she spoke. If not she wouldn't be hiding herself from him. But where was she?

Vegeta forced himself to speak calmly so he could lull her into a false sense of security. "I didn't initiate anything woman. You forced yourself on me." Unable to remove the bitterness he felt from his words while he bent down to carefully examine the perfectly normal looking wall.

"You didn't mind reciprocating though." He heard the affront in her voice and smirked slightly at this. Some of his anger abating a little. She was exceedingly easy to rile up.

Vegeta snorted. "After you flung yourself at me three times I didn't want to leave you disappointed." He drawled out as he stood up again. He stared at the wall as if he expected her to appear from the stone itself.

Silence.

Then … "You didn't." It was more a small whisper than an outright confirmation but he felt his chest swell arrogantly at her words.

"So why did you attack me then?" Curiosity demanded Vegeta ask her.

"The battle was still on. I merely saw a chance for victory and took it."

At this Vegeta smirked and more of his anger subsided. He was in no doubt that if she had the strength to match her mind she would have made a brilliant warrior. Muscle tone be damned. Her tactics were flawless. Her mind was sharp and keen and she never lost sight of her goals. Something tiny, akin to appreciation for her brilliance and spirit, sprouted inside of him.

"Fair enough." Vegeta grunted in approval. "Now come out so we may speak." He lied.

Vegeta wasn't going to speak. He was going to rip her clothes away from her delectable little body and chain her to his beds so he would never be denied her flesh again. Then he would taste every inch of her fair skin. He was going to fuck her until she couldn't use that brilliant mind of hers anymore. Her brain was going to pour through her ears and her voice would catch on his name until she couldn't speak anymore. Oh and how she enjoyed saying his name. The first woman to ever use his name without title or pomp. She called to him in a way of intimate recognition that irked him as much as it aroused him. Then he was going to watch, in unrelenting pleasure, while she burned into nothing but smoke and ash from his ki and not his mouth. Something more deafening than her enraged shrieking broke through Vegeta's sadistic thoughts.

Silence.

Then with a slight buzzing sound that possibly only his Saiyan hearing could pick up he watched as Bulma suddenly appeared before him. She seemed to have sprouted from the ground like a plant in sand. His eyes widened at this mind boggling trick.

"Shrinking device." She whispered huskily, lifting her wrist towards her chest so her watch became visible, answering his silent question.

Immediately the anger that had started to abate roared to life dangerously inside of him, as it eventually boiled over the edge of his control at the sight of her. He couldn't tell what triggered his fury to come back full force as he made to pounce on her.

It took Bulma a split second to realise that Vegeta hadn't curbed his anger for her when she immediately saw that perilous glint in his dark eyes. The one that promised punishment for her sins. From pure instinct, as her heart beat accelerated frantically, she pressed at her wrist watch again. This time a blue shield jumped out protectively around her.

Vegeta though, had not expected this and collided head on with the energy shield. With his own ki sparking furiously around him a violent clash of two powers meshed together in one ball of dancing light. Bulma watched in horrid fascination as Vegeta was electrocuted by her shield. His own ki holding him hostage, as it mated with her shield, trying to become one.

She watched as his pupils rolled to the back of his head the veins in the white of his eyes a striking red that Bulma thought they were going to burst bloodily. Vegeta jerked violently from the onslaught of the waves, his head now thrown back and his back arched from the whirlwind he was caught up in. Before she could react she watched as his clothes began to burn away from the heat of the shock waves, since he hadn't put on his armour, and his skin began to bubble as it was seared.

Bulma gasped at this, the burns reminding her of her own earlier that day and she grabbed at her watch. Without hesitation she made to deactivate her shield. It didn't work though; the magnitude of power being released was too intense for Bulma's watch to control.

She shrieked in horror at this as she tore her watch of her wrist to shake and poke at it in her hands, pleading loudly for it to work. She didn't want to kill Vegeta. Besides the fact that if she did Zorn with make her pay in pounds of flesh, he was still of use to her while he was in a seat of power. Also she didn't hate him. She didn't like him but she didn't hate him either. Hate was an emotion that was only festered by those who had wronged her in the vilest ways imaginable. Aside from his harsh beating when he had learned that she had killed his father he had not laid a hand on her again. He had never done anything to harm her since then.

Vegeta suddenly flew away from her and the holding power of the shield as his power was reduced and Bulma's wrist watch short circuited in tiny blue sparks. Bulma dropped the watch after having her fingers burned and ran towards him while she pulled out the voice enhancing patch from her throat and threw it unceremoniously onto the floor. She no longer needed it since she was now her proper size again.

Later she would scrutinise her reactions and realise that she had not seen him as a despicable Saiyan but as a person who had needed help.

"Vegeta!" Bulma cried as she ran to him dropping on her knees at his side. She cradled his head in her hands and held him in her lap. She placed her fingers on the side of his neck trying to find a pulse. When she found a steady beat she sighed in relief.

"You're going to be fine Vegeta." Bulma spoke as she placed his head gently onto the floor again . She then ran over to her table opening a draw from the toppled desk. Cursing and thinking out aloud all the while.

Finally she crowed in triumph as she found what she had been searching for. Opening up a green capsule she took the large jar it released and proceeded to turn the metal lid around it.

"It's ok Vegeta. You're going to be ok. You've probably just had the wind knocked out from you. I doubt a little electrocution could hinder a being as strong as you." Bulma rambled on nervously as she stuck her fingers into the cool green gel she had brought to him inadvertently healing her own burned fingertips in the process. She didn't know why she was rambling so nervously but she felt choked up at seeing Vegeta hurt by her own actions.

Vegeta heard her clearly and truth be told he was holding himself back from taking in a large intake of air. He had felt suffocated while being electrocuted, the air sucked from his chest as he was violently jerked like a rag doll, every nerve in his body tingling in a most painful way. For a moment he thought he was going to be incinerated by that ghastly force when he had had the good sense to lower his ki. But then it had stopped as suddenly as it had started and he had been thrown against the hard stone wall of her room. Was there no end to his humiliation at her hand today?

But when he had heard her call his name, something close to concern wavering in her tones, he wanted to pretend and observe her reactions. Instead of getting up and brutally murdering her. She was such a contradicting female, so intriguing, so undoubtedly an enigma!

He felt her fingers gently rub a cool gel on his raw skin that had been burned and had to resist the urge to sigh in relief. Instantly he felt his heated skin repair itself as the burning subsided. He heard a soft chuckle escape her mouth, her breath fanning against his almost naked chest from her proximity. This time he couldn't repress the shudder that ran through his body. She seemed not to notice though as she was solely focused on her task at hand.

"I nicked some healing liquids from the regen tanks. I couldn't resist, really. Science has always been my Achilles heel. A weakness you know." He assumed she was explaining this heel concept to him as he could literally hear the frown in her voice. "So I managed to create a healing gel, with a little poking and prodding of course, which could work without the stimulation of a tank. It can immediately heal cuts and burns but nothing much more. It can't repair broken bones but I'll get there. This can even heal mortal wounds, with extensive application it can stitch cuts up. Slowly but surely."

He listened raptly to her and thought of the wonders this advanced healing gel could do while away on missions when a regen take was unavailable. He mentally noted to ask her for it later so it could be reproduced in large quantities.

He listened to her soft tones that made her loud voice sound unusually husky and sweet. She cooed to him as if distracting them both but her concern filled voice held something like reassurance in it. "All done." She said, satisfied with her handiwork and he heard her voice waver with uncertainty when he didn't respond to her.

Bulma stared at Vegeta as he lay eagle spread on her floor. His ever present scowl knitting his eyebrows together in a deep V. Feeling the overwhelming need to reassure herself that he was there and alive she reached out and hesitantly touched his forehead. She watched as his scowl disappeared, the tension she felt waned as she ran her hands along his sharp cheek bones and strong jaw. He looked handsome like that she realised. Deceptively so.

His rugged good looks transforming into angles and planes of masculine beauty. _'Did I just call Vegeta beautiful?'_ Bulma mused as she left her hand to lay against his neck a wry smile curving her full lips.

There was a shriek of surprise before she was lying flat on her back, caged in Vegeta's embrace. Bulma's eyes widened slightly before they narrowed at him hovering triumphantly over her.

"Thinking of ways to kill me woman?" He whispered into her face as he held her wrists firmly above her head.

"Hardly." Bulma scoffed, trying to seem unaffected by his close proximity or the smouldering look he was awarding her with. A small smirk graced his sensual lips at her words and Bulma's eyes were drawn to the movement. "Vegeta?"

His eyes seemed to be focused on her own, slightly open, mouth as his name left the pink swell of her lips.

His silence was enough encouragement to speak she would ever receive and so Bulma asked. "What does lust feel like?"

She looked up in time to see his eyes snap up to hers. Searching? Confused or maybe curious? Bulma couldn't really tell. Then his smirk transformed into a full blown smile. The first she had ever seen from him. His pearly white teeth sharp and neatly rowed, contrasted against his bronze skin. It was utterly, fucking gorgeous and she gulped in fear of her reaction to a tooth-full smile.

"Ah, so the woman who uses all that femininity like a second skin has never experienced lust before. Intriguing." He mocked her.

"Well considering my only experience has ever been based on forceful brutes who possibly can't find a willing woman anywhere how would I have ever had the opportunity to feel lust before." Bulma sputtered in one breath.

Vegeta had researched Bulma thoroughly of course and he knew that she was being honest with him. She had been but only sixteen years old when her home world had been seized so it was highly possible she had not been introduced to vices like sex. His mind pictured a younger Bulma, possibly proud and haughty like himself, considering her wealth and status on her Planet, trying to satiate her natural curiosity with some fumbling Earthling. He had not been able to discern much about her life before coming to Vegeta-sei and he was suddenly curious as to what exactly that entailed. Not that he cared of course, he just wanted to be armed with as much information as possible when it came to this devious slip of a woman.

"You mean to tell me you have never fucked someone on that backwater Planet of yours?"

Bulma bit her lip at his crude, yet bluntly honest, question. How to answer that? As a normal teenager she had craved to experiment with alcohol and smoking, parties and boyfriends but she had never been offered the chance to do so. Ironic considering so many of her peers ducked and dived to go gallivanting while her loving, if not slightly unconventional and eccentric, parents had always trusted her enough to give her free reign over her life. They strongly believed in learning from your own mistakes. And yet no one, not one person had considered her a friend enough to invite her to any gatherings.

She was too pretty to be associated with the nerds, too intelligent to be popular and she had always wished she had lacked something. She wanted to lose her brainy ways so she could fit in but it had always been difficult to control her tongue in the presence of airheads. Correcting them without giving it a second thought. And her smart mouth had always gotten her into trouble. How could she tell him that she decided to go in search of a boyfriend one faithful summer when his people had attacked Earth.

Vegeta ignored the distracting way Bulma played with her bottom lip while she thought about his question because he did not want to miss the play of emotions that swam in her eyes. With her cold demeanour and perfect composure it was her eyes that he found he could always read. He saw her hurt and loneliness and watched as she fought the urge to tell him. He felt that strange look inside of her like it had been mirrored from his own eyes. He understood that weary look. That long forgotten need for being right at the top but not being satisfied with yourself. Always pushing yourself to please someone who would never appreciate your efforts. Yet still the need to be the best and still please eventually bubbled into ugly hatred and disassociation with others.

"No." Bulma decided to simply tell him steering the conversation back into places she wanted it to go to. "So, what is lust?"

"It's like an itch you just have to scratch." He drawled out intuitively, deciding that he was better off not listening to her pathetic emotional dribble anyway. His voice was sinfully tempting as he knew she was asking because of the effect he had on her.

"What if the scratching makes your wounds bleed?" His smirk vanished at that.

He was in no doubt as to what she was referring to. She hated his kind and therefore she was struggling with wanting him. A sudden wave of repulsion rocked him as he wondered why he felt the same sense of lust for her. After all, she was the woman who had murdered his father in cold blood. But then it stilled inside of him before it was crushed by the heavy hand of desire as she called his name in that intimate sexy way only she knew how. Realising he had been silently contemplating her words for a while he answered both her and himself.

"Lust does not come with emotion. It is a fire that will burn you whether you give in to it or not. It doesn't have hearts and flowers and can go as easily at it comes between whoever it chooses." He told her staunchly.

He made it sound so indecent yet tempting, like Lust was a Greek Goddess who you could not escape once she cast her spell upon you. Not sure if she wasn't already burning in those fires of lust he raged inside of her. Bulma blinked to reign in her wayward thoughts before she frowned at his words. Not knowing if she was fine with _willingly_ having sex without any kind of emotion. Ever since her mom had discussed the "birds and the bees" with her it had been drilled into her skull that sex was not something that was just physical. It was emotional. It wasn't just sex, it was love making, stemming from deep emotional attachments.

Bulma frowned more at this. Obviously Vegeta believed otherwise and Bulma delved deeper into his words. Numerous men took pleasure in raping her. They didn't mind that they didn't know her or she didn't enjoy what they were doing to her. It wasn't an alien thing, rape was well known back on Earth too. So was it a male/female thing? But then she thought about some of the other women at Nion's House. The ones who had enjoyed the sex with customers. Proudly talking about and comparing their jaunts.

Vegeta didn't like the way the wheels in Bulma's mind was turning. She was wild and dangerous and yet she was almost naïve and innocent in other aspects. He knew she had been taken away from her home world at sixteen but he could never picture her looking this lost or vulnerable before. It was _disarming_.

"What is it then Vegeta?" She asked. Her voice in that moment sounding instantly trusting.

"It's pleasure and orgasms. Not something you dissect and analyse. Lust is something you feel. It's real." He made it sound so simple and yet Bulma knew nothing was ever that. However her pulse raced wildly at his voice and blazing black eyes.

Real. Did she know anything that was real in this world anymore? She wanted to see something that wasn't spun from lies and presented with hidden agendas. However, did she trust Vegeta enough to show her that?

"Show me." She didn't command, she didn't ask. She pleaded.

He needed no further encouragement as his head lowered to hers with an accepting growl. His lips touched hers and Bulma immediately parted her lips to the delightful feeling of his own. She arched eagerly into him as his tongue met hers. They fought with each other, battling for domination before Vegeta grinded his powerful hips into her own, his erection meeting the apex of her parted thighs, in no doubt telling her _he_ was in control. Instantly Bulma lost the battle they fought and she moaned as she revelled in the sheer pleasure of it. Surprisingly, not feeling powerless at her freedom and choice abandoning her.

Vegeta lowered one capturing hand down her arm and she shivered at the feel of his rough palms gliding against her soft skin. His hand found its way to her full breast and she arched, exhilarated, as he squeezed the plump flesh as her nipples responded to his touch by pebbling erroneously. He lowered his hands still, travelling down her flat abdomen before it found the place where she tingled in anticipation for him without even realising it. Bulma moaned loudly as his strong fingers touched her _there_ and she jerked as if he had electrocuted her.

Outside the room Kakarot couldn't take it any longer. He had heard furniture being toppled over, crashes and bangs. He had heard silence before hearing Bulma shriek and Vegeta roar as his power level soared to unheard of heights. Then he had heard quietness. Then rattling and rummaging and then silence again.

Needless to say his nerves were strung high. Yet he did not want to disobey a direct order from his Prince and seem insubordinate. And in all the time he paced outside Bulma's room he worried for her safety. He felt like he had been transported back fifteen years into the past. Agitated as he heard his mother being attacked.

But he calmed himself, by the fact that he hadn't heard Bulma scream. That was until he did.

She moaned and groaned and Kakarot wondered what the hell was going on behind that closed door. He couldn't take it anymore as after her scream he heard her whimper desperately. Imagining a defenceless Bulma lying lifeless on the floor did it.

Without another thought Kakarot burst through the door of Bulma's room. Immediately he felt like he had indeed been teleported to the past.

The sight of Bulma pinned beneath Vegeta, her head lolling from side to side darkened his mood. He didn't see Bulma or Vegeta, he saw his mother being raped. With a loud shout his ki spiked and he charged at Vegeta like a raging bull seeing red.

Bulma shrieked as Vegeta was taken away from her and she shot up from the floor. She immediately pulled down her dress from her waist and got up on her feet. She looked up just in time to see a large crack in her stone wall. A massive crater making her eyes widen in shock and then realisation. She looked to see a crumpled Vegeta rise to his feet while a hand supported his side. He wiped a hand against his mouth before spitting out blood. His eyes were murderous as he looked up at Kakarot.

Kakarot's eyes also possessed the same deadly glint that Vegeta's did Bulma noticed. She had never seen him look so intimidating before and Bulma instinctively shivered. "Kakarot." She whispered but he didn't even look at her. His eyes were focused solely on Vegeta.

"You dare attack your Prince?" Vegeta demanded.

All Kakarot responded with was a threatening growl and Vegeta frowned. This time when Kakarot attacked he was not caught sorely off guard, distracted by his fingers imbedded inside of Bulma. Vegeta stepped aside quickly as Kakarot swung fully at him. The agile Prince then rammed his elbow into Kakarot's spine making the younger Saiyan arch in pain like a strung bow before he dropped to his knees temporarily paralysed.

Vegeta heard Bulma shriek loudly as she made to run towards Kakarot. But she was stopped by a commanding palm from Vegeta as if he had magical powers that held her at bay. Instead it was the lethal look in his eyes that halted Bulma in mid stride. She couldn't understand it but there was a fierceness that replaced his early desire for her and Bulma couldn't help but stand rooted to the spot frozen.

She then turned her gaze towards Kakarot. The only person she really cared about in this Universe and she felt like sobbing. She had never seen him so … so _animalistic_ before and it scared her. She had never been on the receiving end of anything but gentleness from him and with the way he resembled a human – sans his tail of course – Bulma had always pictured him as one of her own. Now those false comforts were harshly stripped away from her and she felt the need to weep for him and herself.

Vegeta bent towards Kakarot, grabbing a fistful of his untamed hair and lifting his head back so painfully he felt the sensations skitter across his spine and swirl around his back. Vegeta looked threateningly into Kakarot's eyes.

"You are required on my personal training grounds in fifteen minutes. Do not be late." Vegeta ordered, releasing Kakarot with a disgusted snort before he regally walked from Bulma's room. He flexed his jaw and felt the throb of Kakarot's blow that would undoubtedly begin to swell soon. Vegeta clenched his fists tightly, his mind reeling with all kinds of blows he would deal Kakarot once they battled.

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It hadn't taken long for Vegeta's painful blow and his dangerous words to snap Kakarot out from his lost reverie into his painful past. Now he stood in apprehension, shifting his weight from one foot to another, while he waited impatiently for his Prince.

He didn't know what had overcome him but he knew he would pay dearly for attacking Vegeta. No one struck the Prince, if not in battle, and lived to tell about it. Kakarot gulped at this. Vegeta was menacing and intimidating. That was what struck the fear of the Gods into Kakarot and everyone else. Add those two characteristics to a very strong fighter who possessed a ruthless mind and anyone who squared off against the Prince was in trouble.

Kakarot was scared for his life though. The Prince had a strange sense of honour that every other Saiyan was bound to as well. And Vegeta did not take lightly to having his laws broken. After Bulma had held him in her arms, cradling him close to her, he had wanted nothing more than to bury himself further into her embrace and forget about his pain and Vegeta. Yet when the pain had subsided he had felt ashamed of himself.

His brother, his father and Vegeta would have been incensed at his behaviour and immediately declared him unfit to be a warrior before he even had the chance to be allowed into the Saiyan Army let alone gain ranking. He had then extricated himself from her embrace and stood above her awkwardly.

She remained seated on the floor though and when she had looked up at him with those big, blue, blue eyes he had sunk down to his knees again. _'What was it about this woman that drew out such protective instincts from him?'_ He wasn't very familiar to these senses. He knew obligation well but he didn't know these unfamiliar feelings of dependence and protectiveness that she swelled up inside of him. Not even Chi Chi had managed to stir such strong emotions inside of him. He wondered if it was because he had been young and inexperienced at the time or if it was because he had never had much time with her for his feelings to grow after they had slept together.

Although Chi Chi had been taken from Earth when she was much younger she had never had to go through what Bulma had lived through. She had lived infinitely better. Chi Chi was strong and trained and could take care of herself whereas Bulma was weak and fragile and lacked any physical strength. Chi Chi was bashful and demure and Bulma was outspoken and intense. His comparisons conjured up a mental image of Chi Chi, with her pitch black tresses and pretty dark eyes, yet he found even her sweet face lacked when compared to Bulma's radiant blue beauty. He sighed, banishing his thoughts from his mind before he pulled Bulma into his strong embrace and held her possessively before he pulled away from her. He held her beautiful face in his hands and she lowered her eyes.

He couldn't tell if it was because of shame from what he had seen her so intimately engaging in with Vegeta but he instantly stiffened. He had never felt attracted to Bulma before but somewhere along the line he had become attached to her. Fond of her. Maybe even cared for her. And he couldn't quite explain why seeing her with Vegeta had affected him so. He had never felt such overwhelming hatred that it took him to relive his past in a mental vortex before. He had then left her to follow Vegeta's orders unsure of what to say to her. How could he explain something he didn't even understand?

As if his thoughts about him had conjured up the Prince, Vegeta descended before him. The evening air suddenly felt thicker and Kakarot tried to remember to breathe.

"If you had wanted to spar Kakarot, you could have just asked." Vegeta spoke calmly, although every word was a promise onto what he was going to do to Kakarot.

"Forgive me Prince Vegeta, that was not my intention. I was just worried about Bulma …"

At the sound of Bulma's name Vegeta growled menacingly, causing Kakarot's words to die a slow and painful death on his lips. Vegeta was beyond frustrated. After almost six months of having to control his overactive libido – which had never been a problem before – he had almost been at a point of satiating it when this bumbling baboon had entered. In hindsight he should have dismissed Kakarot but Vegeta was willing to ignore hindsight and place all the blame onto Kakarot.

He was looking forward to beating Kakarot to within an inch of his life. Now, seeing his annoying face right before his he felt his earlier anger at being assaulted by a third class clown return tenfold. The fact that he could smell Bulma's scent wafting from Kakarot only ceased to fuel the burning flame of his anger.

"Worried? For a common whore?" Vegeta spat. "I did not order you to _worry_ for her Kakarot. You disobeyed a direct order from me and then had the audacity to strike me. I think a lesson on learning your place needs to be thought to you."

Something sparked inside of Kakarot. Something bright and precarious that flickered to life inside of him from hearing Vegeta address Bulma as a whore. Is that what he had thought of her when he had been touching her so intimately? Nothing more than a whore to play with. Bulma may have been a whore at one time but Kakarot demanded that she be given more respect than that. She deserved it! Especially considering everything she was doing for Vegeta. He may not understand or have full disclosure about their deal but Kakarot had seen the advancements she was making to help the throne progress and aid the spying King in his work against Frieza.

"May I fight back?" Vegeta lifted an eyebrow at the steely tone that lilted Kakarot's normally softer voice and he wondered what had wrought on the sudden change.

Vegeta considered Kakarot's request carefully. He wanted to beat the shit out of Kakarot but the younger Saiyan's power level was measly to say the least and Vegeta wanted to drag his punishment out for as long as he could. So he decided if he worked himself up a little he could make Kakarot's beating much more severe as he was always more aggressive when immersed in a real battle.

Vegeta smirked wickedly. "Yes, you may."

With a crack of ki like striking lightning they squared off. Vegeta had the upper hand of course and he was feeling rather smug at this point. He had been taunting Kakarot non-stop for the past fifteen minutes as he wore Kakarot down even though it was nothing more than a warm up for him.

Another fifteen minutes flew by in a flurry of punches and kicks and Vegeta's smirk was slowly disappearing as every time he hit Kakarot harder the other Saiyan still got up. He also seemed to be learning as he went along and Vegeta realised that he could not make the same move against Kakarot twice or the Prince would find himself vulnerable to attack. Vegeta had learned that the hard way when the older Saiyan had thrown a small ki ball at Kakarot before using the other Saiyan's concentration on blocking the attack to phase out of sight and appear behind him. Just as he was about to deliver a crushing blow to Kakarot's back, for the third time that evening, the taller Saiyan had rammed an elbow into the Prince before turning around quickly and sending his other fist crashing into Vegeta's face.

Vegeta was ashamed to admit that he was almost as bloody and bruised as Kakarot was as he soared into the sky from one of Kakarot's blows. Vegeta stopped his momentum from Kakarot's punch and roared in mid-air. His electric blue ki sparking of him as if he were a live wire itself. Vegeta screamed "enough", not knowing if he was speaking to Kakarot or himself for having a third class keep up with him and still be able to land a few good blows in.

Vegeta's pride stung just as much as his injuries did, if not more. He saw a look of steely determination flare in Kakarot's eyes before the younger Saiyan leapt off the ground to meet him in mid-air. Charging full force at him. Kakarot's own ki flickering a bright red as he made to attack.

He swung his right fist and Vegeta caught it with his left hand as he concentrated on premeditating Kakarot's moves. Kakarot swung his left fist and Vegeta caught that with his right hand. The Prince squeezed Kakarot's knuckles painfully, making sure to break a few fingers before he lifted his knee and stuck it into the other Saiyan's stomach.

Kakarot coughed as he doubled over in pain. Vegeta let go off Kakarot's fists and watched in satisfaction as he dropped to the ground hard, not able to control his ki to slow his fall. A large crater appeared beneath him and Vegeta would have been pissed off at his own shallow breathing if he didn't know that he now had the upper hand in this battle.

Powering up he speared towards Kakarot with alarming intensity, using the last vestiges of his strength, and with one fist outstretched he punched Kakarot fully in the gut. Kakarot spat blood as he wheezed painfully, clutching at his side. A dark chuckle, though wary and interrupted with slight racking coughs, sounded from Vegeta.

Kakarot was knocked out cold and Vegeta sunk to his knees with no one to bear witness to how close he had been to defeat. He pushed the thought away though as he realised that he hadn't been at his peak, riled up and frustrated with circumstances to keep a clear mind. Then Kakarot had surprised him with a natural knack for battle and had gotten in a few lucky hits earlier on. That had slightly hindered the Prince's less than perfect fighting skills. Something he would never do again would be to underestimate Kakarot. But he was curious to the other's power. There was something almost palpable about Kakarot's ki that seemed to strain out to Vegeta's senses and he didn't know if he felt apprehension or curiosity at that.

One thing was for sure though; this was not the only battle these two would have. He would fight Kakarot again. And when Vegeta harnessed that power lurking inside of Kakarot, and tamed his rebellious, wilder side, maybe the fool would be ready to prove himself.

With nothing but pride the bruised and battered Prince pushed a hand onto the ground to pick himself up, hobbling back to the Palace. Kakarot had broken fingers, broken ribs and was severely more bruised than him but Vegeta could feel his muscles protesting in complain over his battle. He needed a stint in the regen tanks.

There he would send help for Kakarot.

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**Author's Note:** _Ooo guys, I have to admit I kinder struggled a little with this chapter, so my apologies if it wasn't all that good. Maybe because it really wasn't in my original plot. I actually have this entire story already plotted out, however with the way the last chapter ended, I just couldn't resist writing this when the idea came to me. Also a lot of you were curious to see Vegeta's reaction when he woke up. A good title for this chapter would undoubtedly be, Vegeta Vs Bulma; Vegeta Vs Kakarot._

_So a little mention of Chi Chi (wink wink) and also we have the lust factor between Bulma and Vegeta in place (grinning) but it's really a far cry for what's to come for them, especially with Kakarot in the mix. _

_We've actually kinder reached the crux of this story – with the main characters in place and the scene set – so everything is kinder going to fall apart next chapter. Lol, not come together it seems, but I'm not one for traditions. But I'm really excited about writing the next few chapters. It's going to be dramatic and sad … I hope that I can convey those feelings in words though._

_So next up, Frieza strikes. Yepppy! And chaos ensues. _

_Happy Reading guys!_

_Nova.81_


	9. Chapter 9

**For Aquestra: Thanks for all your invaluable help earlier this week! If you guys haven't checked out her awesome BV fic yet, you should! The Saiyan Ascension**

**For all those wonderful reviewers who always leave such encouraging words after every update and for the inspiring PM's that keep me motivated! Thank you!**

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**WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, BLOOD AND GORY MENTIONS OF TORTURE AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.**

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**Revenge: An Earthling's Retribution**

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**Chapter Nine**

Frieza, the youngest son of King Cold, sat calmly in his hover chair that currently kept his short stature floating mid-air between his two right hand men.

A glass of the bloodiest wine was held almost gently in his deceptively small hands as he surveyed the Planet before him. _'The time has come.'_ He thought with an evil tilt of his lips that were darker than the red of his wine as he lifted the glass goblet to his mouth.

"So the King really isn't amongst us then?" Dodoria, a fat blob of cerise pink, asked uncertainly. Frieza sighed as he was certain that he had already had this conversation with his two minions before. So Frieza held back the sarcastic retort – that was trying to slither its way out from the tip of his tongue – as he continued to eye his latest conquest on his way to Universal rule.

Dodoria may not have been the brightest star in any galaxy but his stupidity and willingness to follow Frieza's every whim was what ensured his position at Frieza's side. That and his incredible power and the pleasure he took from preying upon weaker beings with heartless enjoyment.

"No. They have obviously infiltrated our systems and not our kind. They only seem to know what we have on file." Zarbon, a strikingly beautiful male answered Dodoria, his face set in a contemplative frown.

Zarbon was possibly stronger than Dodoria and he had the advantage of a sharp mind as well. Therefore he was allowed to stand currently where he stood, on Frieza's left. Not that the side he stood at made him any less favoured than his pink companion. Zarbon also made Dodoria's moronic ways bearable at times like these when Frieza was not in the mood to answer imprudent questions.

Frieza nodded in approval at Zarbon's answer without removing his blood red gaze from his ship's window. King Vegeta had made the dire mistake of reneging on his deal with the Ice-jin and had therefore made himself a dastardly enemy.

For years now Frieza had taken pleasure in outsmarting the monkeys and watching as their Empire crumbled around their ruler. However when Vegeta's monkeys had started to outwit him at his own game Frieza had realised it was time to put an end to this. All the Ice-jin ever wanted was Vegeta's co-operation in his military force, but no, the fool had chosen to remain independent in the Universe. And Frieza would not have that in _his_ Universe.

When the Saiyans had begun turning his own game on him in the past year Frieza knew the time for games were over. He needed to wipe the Saiyans out from existence. They were a threat to his masterful plans of becoming the supreme ruler of the entire Universe and usurping his meddling elder brother once and for all.

And he had been doing pretty well until the Saiyans started to increase in numbers. Their strength almost unrivalled in their alternate states. Frieza would hate to think if the legends were true and their third state was more encompassing than the rest what influence they could have in _his_ Universe. Something else he couldn't have traipsing around without a firm hand around it.

There was only place for one powerful race in the Universe. Yet he couldn't help himself in seeking revenge against the King because that was who he was. No one offended the Ice-jin, especially one weaker than him, and became exempt from paying for it.

Now the time had come for these idiotic monkey's to learn the nature of his true powers.

Frieza sipped the remnants of his wine calmly before he tilted the glass towards Dodoria who took it instantly. "Inform me when you find him. Kill anyone who tries to get in your way." Frieza could barely contain the unrestrained glee at the thought of bloodshed to follow and of collecting something he had been denied years ago. "Then I will deliver the final blow." Frieza gave an evil chuckle of maniacal proportions as Zarbon and Dodoria verbalised their understanding before going off.

Frieza could feel it in his bones, today was going to be a glorious day.

* * *

Bulma could feel it in her bones, today was the day.

The day that Frieza finally struck. Well she could feel it as well as the damning information she possessed on the matter as well. Of course no one but herself knew this. She was a genius after all, and although she had shown Bardock how to interpret and hack into Frieza's databases she had kept much information privy to herself alone.

She didn't know why the Ice-jins and the Saiyans had this egotistical vendetta against each other but neither did she care. A year had passed since she had started helping Vegeta and now she knew the time had come to finally help herself alone. There was only one problem though. Kakarot.

What was she going to do about him? He barely left her side anymore after the _incident_ with Vegeta. Even though, after much self-epiphanies and pep talks, Bulma didn't plan on sleeping with Vegeta it was like Kakarot didn't trust her to stay true to her words. Not that that would have posed any problems though. Vegeta had rarely been on Planet anyway. Immediately after that night, Bulma had learned that Frieza's men were striking a pretty valuable galaxy under Saiyan rule and Vegeta had rushed off to intercept them. It seemed that the Gods themselves saw fit to keep them part. Not that Bulma was complaining about it, she had long since lost faith in Gods and so she let it be. It was something she could deal without anyway.

Ever since Vegeta had surpassed Frieza's power level he had been blatantly challenging the Ice-jin by insulting Frieza anyway he could. Vegeta had taken the game to a whole new level. So Bulma wasn't surprised to find Frieza's mother ship en-route to Vegeta-sei.

The Saiyan Prince was on a war path and he was in his element. After four months of being off Planet he had finally returned, more smug and arrogant than she had ever seen him before. Whenever they were in the same room together the atmosphere basically crackled with the intensity of the vibes they emitted towards each other. Neither one of them had made any attempts to act upon the sexual tension that was as obvious as an elephant in the room between them though. Bulma knew why she didn't want to engage in any _liaisons_ with the Saiyan Prince but she was curious as to why he hadn't made any advances on her.

Not that she wanted him to, she was just naturally curious as to why he was suddenly holding back. Vegeta was not the type of being who didn't take what he wanted. And she was pretty sure he still wanted her. Even with all their new found insults and more vicious arguments. She was no fool, they were both acting, pretending. She had half prepared herself for him to summon her to him the moment he had returned and fucked her where she stood before him. Not that she wanted him to of course, it was just something she expected from the likes of the Saiyan Prince, and so she had prepared her rejection as well.

'_Yeah right.'_ Her conscious snorted at her half assed lies about not wanting to make all those steamy dreams and fantasies about Vegeta a reality. They were pretty good thoughts though, she had to admit. But she'd bet her Planet on it that the reality would be a zillion times better than her pathetic wet dreams and daydreaming. Bulma sighed as she thought about Earth.

About a month ago Vegeta had re-purged Earth for her after much angry arguments and empty threats from her. It must have worked though because she had managed to steal a full report on Earth's status before he had even given her the information. He should know by now that nothing ever escaped her notice.

However he had told her that under no circumstances was she to leave until he told her so. Or he would blow up that "mud ball" she so foolishly pined for. He was becoming greedy now and honestly she realised the only reason he had re-purged Earth was to pretend to be keeping his end of the deal. He had no intention of ever letting her go. Her value had increased tenfold with all the developments she had made on Vegeta-sei.

Bulma paced her room, trying to figure out how she was going to get out of this. She could shrink herself but that would mean she could only move at a snail's pace in her reduced size. That was the only hindrance about her device. It only helped her to hide herself. She could use the shield against Kakarot but she really didn't want to hurt him, especially after what had happened to Vegeta the last time. Plus she didn't know how many Saiyans, and possibly non Saiyans, she would have to fend off and her wrist watch couldn't produce more than five shields without running out of power yet. She had then contemplated sedating Kakarot but the thought of leaving him defenceless during an attack did not sit well with her. So she was at a dead end.

Bulma's thoughts flew out her mind when the ground beneath her shook. "Shit."

Just as she was about to run to her door Kakarot burst in. "Bulma." He looked harried and nervous, yet slightly excited too.

"What's going on Kakarot?" Bulma asked innocently as she raised an eyebrow at his excited demeanour. Ships had obviously just landed; enemy ships.

Ever since the night Kakarot had attacked Vegeta and held her in his almost bone crushing hug he had become withdrawn from her. He spoke less and smiled even lesser. She honestly hated the change but she couldn't bring herself to ask him what was wrong. In fact she was afraid of his answer. She saw the way he would stare at her when he thought she wasn't looking, or remain attached to her side whenever he could, even taking to sleeping on the floor of her room. Emotionally he had withdrawn from her, but physically he had become her shadow. Bulma sighed; he didn't know what he wanted, no matter how much he thought he did.

Although part of her did wish she could feel that lust she felt for Vegeta for Kakarot. It would have been so much easier to want someone you actually cared about, but apparently that was not how pure lust worked. Her first friend in the entire Universe. And yet, she knew she was too late. An image of innocence flooded her mind with the doting faces of Chi Chi and Gohan as they looked up at Kakarot and Bulma immediately felt contrite about her thoughts. No, Kakarot did not belong to her and he deserved better anyway.

"We're under attack." Kakarot spoke almost gleefully and for the first time in months Bulma smiled genuinely up at him before she frowned.

"Kakarot." Bulma shrieked watching as he flinched at her high pitched voice. "Why the fuck are you smiling at that?"

"Bulma." Kakarot gently spoke her name. "I get to fight. Really fight." He told her as if this was the best thing ever. Well for him, it probably was. He was a Saiyan after all.

Just as Bulma was about to chastise him his scouter beeped. Kakarot pressed at it to allow the incoming communication and Bulma clearly heard Vegeta's gruff voice bark at him on the other end of the communication link.

"Kakarot."

"Yes Vegeta." Kakarot answered. Somewhere along the line of attacking Vegeta, possibly harbouring some enviousness for the Prince, and all those sparring sessions the two Saiyans engaged in, Kakarot had become more familiar with Vegeta.

"I am ordering you to take the woman and go into hiding. No excuses! Tell her to hide in the third eye. She'll know where that is. You are not to let her out of your sight until I come to you. Is that understood?"

"But Veg – " Bulma heard Kakarot's protests cut off quickly before Vegeta growled menacingly at him.

"Do not disobey me you idiot. When all this is over, we may need the woman more than we know." Vegeta didn't give Kakarot a chance to reply before the communication was ended with an official beep.

In a rare show of anger Kakarot punched his fist throw a wall and Bulma jumped back slightly. At seeing the fear in her eyes he immediately ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"I'm sorry Bulma. I just wanted to fight and be of help. I wanted to finally prove I'm good enough." Kakarot complained. "I thought after the past two months of sparring with Vegeta he would have seen that." Kakarot couldn't believe he was still being punished for one failed mission when he had only been fifteen.

Bulma's chest constricted for him. He was twenty now but he'd always be that little boy she had met at twelve. "Hey." Bulma coaxed as she placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing him before she rubbed his back soothingly. "Vegeta never said you couldn't fight." Bulma winked up at him as he frowned at her.

"But you heard …"

Kakarot was cut off for the second time that day. "He told you to take me to a hiding place and not leave my side. He said nothing about fighting."

"But …" Kakarot was confused.

"I have a plan. Come on." Bulma smiled as she tugged at his wrist.

* * *

Vegeta smirked as he tossed another dead body over his shoulder. This was almost too easy he thought as he walked regally towards his next opponent, undeterred by the sheer size of the giant before him.

Vegeta could tell that Frieza hadn't chosen his strongest warriors to come forth as he himself was lurking in the shadows. The ice-jin was waiting in the Planet's atmosphere, waiting to strike. Vegeta felt proud that he had managed to do what his own father had failed miserably in doing for years now. Drawing out the Ice-jin from his cold towers. And soon he would defeat Frieza too.

He was completely ready. The strongest warrior in the Universe, Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans.

He watched from the corner of his eyes as Nappa commanded some men to spread out and do what they were all trained to do in these circumstances. Especially since he and his Prince were fairing brilliantly by themselves, not even breaking a sweat against the barrage of Frieza's soldiers.

Vegeta deftly managed to overcome his opponent. The giant possessed more brute strength than speed or brains. The giant swung his club sized fist at the Prince who ducked low before ploughing his own fist into the giants gut. The giant coughed up spittle as he struggled to breathe. He cowered with an arm around his waist as he stepped backwards.

"Pathetic." Vegeta sneered before he aimed a ki blast straight for the giants face, decapitating him in a flash of sparkling blue light.

Vegeta's blood sang in his ears as the scent of blood and battle flooded his nose. He licked his lips, revelling in the glory of dead bodies and heart pounding war cries that could be heard all over the planet. Smoke billowed from all parts of the land and a steady wind kicked up sand around them. The heat beat down on their backs causing them to perspire their mortal glory from the exertion of their victories.

Yes, this was a beautiful tribute to his races history. Nothing had been so glorious in his life. Not even the time when some Tuffle scavengers had tried to take over his Planet and his father had allowed him to fight by the King's side, against their enemies. As a boy he had been slightly unprepared for the reality of a small war but as a man he had spent enough time conquering other worlds to learn what to expect. But nothing, nothing had prepared him for the exhilaration and superiority he felt today.

That was until they dropped down before him. Two of the most opposite paired beings he had ever seen. One was hideous and fat and the other was pretty and sleek. Vegeta smirked, tapping his scouter as he read their power levels. Finally a decent challenge.

They looked extremely unruffled by the chaos that surrounded them, neatly landing on their feet as the sand picked up around them for a dramatic appearance. The pink one's purple lips pulling in a disgusting smile as the blue one simply tucked some loose strands of his green hair behind his ear.

"What have we here?" Vegeta mocked. "Frieza's right hand men. Zarbon and Dodoria." Seeing the shock on their impassive features was enough to make Vegeta smirk as Bulma's advanced scouter enabled him to pick up specific character analysis on any one of Frieza's men he came across. It made his life infinitely easier.

"Why you little runt, what are you, psychic?" Dodoria asked. His voice was thick and scratchy, like the rest of his fat, bumpy self.

"No. Just the Prince of all Saiyans." Vegeta stated proudly as Nappa came to stand beside him.

"Aww Vegeta, you weren't going to have all the fun now were you?" Nappa mocked as he too pressed his scouter to get a reading on Zarbon and Dodoria's power level.

"Of course not." Vegeta smirked wickedly as he crossed his arms over his chest, standing regally with his legs shoulder length apart, his majestic physique rippling power.

"Not to worry Vegeta, your bald headed friend will have company soon enough." It was Zarbon who spoke this time. His voice silky and rich and the only thing masculine about him.

Vegeta was pleased that they knew of him. Believing they must know of his incredible strength as well. Surely his name was synonymous with terms like power, strength and fear.

Zarbon and Dodoria where no fools, they knew that the Prince was extremely strong that was why Frieza had specifically asked two of his best men to find the him. Just as Zarbon predicted a group of Frieza's men landed behind Nappa. All weaklings of course but they were clearly outnumbered.

"Nappa, you take them" Vegeta shifted his head towards the seven warriors who had just arrived. "Leave these two to me."

"Of course Prince Vegeta." Nappa cracked his knuckles as he charged towards his target.

Vegeta uncrossed his arms as he adjusted his blood stained gloves. When this was done he would get Bulma to create battle wear that didn't allow blood to seep through the material and dirty his hands. No matter how fun killing was, his hands were royal and therefore did not deserve to be sullied by the blood of weak scum.

As Vegeta raised his lowered gaze he smirked wickedly at Zarbon and Dodoria. "Have you decided who will go first or would you like this to be a handicapped fight? Believe me when I say, I can take on you two easily."

"Why you little runt." Dodoria spat as he stepped forward, a fist clenched menacingly towards the Prince.

An insidious chuckle crept its way towards the three fighters standing in the middle of the deserted land. Frieza himself floated towards Vegeta. Zarbon and Dodoria stepped towards their left and right respectively to make way for Frieza to halt between them. "My, my, aren't we confident." Frieza cooed in a slimy voice that was confusing to his male gender.

A slight sense of apprehension filled Vegeta at the sight of Frieza but he brushed it aside. "What's this, the mighty Lord Frieza needs a chair to move around in. Pathetic." Vegeta mocked.

He watched as Frieza's crimson eyes flashed at his words before the lizard like creature before him gave a stilted smirk. His dark lips a flat line again when he spoke. His black tongue slithered from his lips slightly when he spoke, the slight hiss in his voice noticeable.

Then the Ice-jin stuck out his pink legs from his chair as he made to stand before Vegeta. He was puny. His scaly pink body draped in white and purple armour that seemed to be moulded to his chest and legs with a black underwear on. His face ribbed with thick white flesh where he should have had eyebrows and his head shone with a purple dome that sprouted two piercing black horns. He was hideous and short and Vegeta couldn't help the small chuckle that rumbled in his chest as he set his sights on Frieza.

* * *

Kakarot swiped a hand across his mouth as he crouched into a fighting stance again. He smiled eagerly as he watched his attacker get up after a smarting blow from him.

Kakarot was thoroughly enjoying himself. The thrill of battle felt invigorating. He breathed in deeply, revelling in the way his blood strummed through his body. Every punch, every kick that he threw, hell even every blow he received made him feel like he had been reborn. It wasn't something he could explain, it was just pure pleasure that made his heart race. Something that he could feel.

And the fact that he was winning was making this all the more sweeter. The lanky orange alien charged towards him again and Kakarot braced himself. He swiftly sidestepped his opponent, something he had learned from Vegeta, and cracked his elbow into his opponent's back. While the orange alien arched in pain Kakarot pulled at the aliens long white hair and turned him over like a rag doll, effectively smashing the alien face first into the ground.

"My handsome face." The alien cried as he sat up on his knees. He seemed more concerned about his broken nose than the fact that he was out matched. "Oh now you've gone and done it mate." The orange being whined as he jumped up again, his skin coloured ki bursting around him.

Kakarot seemed slightly confused by the man's complains about his face yet the Saiyan warrior shrugged it off before partaking in the battle once more. Blocking a barrage of punches and kicks Kakarot realised that the alien was becoming sloppier as he attacked. Growing increasingly bored with the fight, as he was too riled up to fight someone who didn't pose a challenge to him Kakarot went straight for the jugular, knocking the white haired, orange skinned alien out.

Just as Kakarot was about to deliver his final blow a female's screams had his head whipping around.

"Kakarot, that didn't sound like someone powering up." The thumb size Bulma, tucked safely in his armour, told him.

He nodded his agreement and entered the dilapidated building the scream had come from. Women of all sizes and colours ran from the house. Some screaming, some ducking and diving to avoid stray ki blasts and others just hiding behind broken debris, too afraid to move.

"Nion's House." Kakarot whispered and Bulma quivered. Even with her almost invisible size, Kakarot felt her shiver against his bare skin.

Bulma felt like Thumbelina hidden inside of Kakarot's armour but she wasn't complaining. She felt completely safe in her current position, even with Kakarot engaging in battle like a wild man, but the sight of the house that had tormented her for years suddenly had her heart pounding in her chest. Bulma felt dizzy as even the smell of death and destruction in the air couldn't erase that lingering scent of overly strong, fragranced liquid that Nion made all the women bathe in before requested to work. She swallowed deeply, trying to rid her suddenly dry mouth from its ashy taste.

Bulma was turned upside down as Kakarot bent down to move away broken wood and debris so the woman caught up in the aftermath of the destruction could run for their lives. As she was righted by Kakarot standing again Bulma felt the armour she had been ensconced in shatter and crack. With her size she was slammed against falling metal before she fell away completely from Kakarot.

Bulma screamed as she fell. At her shrunken size she was sure she was going to die from the drop. It was like her normal self falling off of Mount Everest. Fortunately for Bulma though she was caught against a protruding beam that stopped her from plummeting to her death before she bounced off and tumbled amongst the debris. The fall didn't feel any less hurtful though and she moaned from her back giving a sickening thud against the wood and her head feeling like she had an all weekend hangover.

"Bulma!" She heard Kakarot call out to her. She whined an incoherent response before her tiny fingers grasped at her wrist watch. She would have to return to her normal size or Kakarot would never be able to find her amongst the rubble.

She felt a moment of panic when she didn't immediately return to her natural state, cursing all the while as her watch started to short circuit. Most likely damaged from her fall. Just as she was about to give up Bulma felt her muscles stretch as she was returned to her normal stature once again. She had to duck while a stray ki blast flew right at her head though and she shrieked while she crouched down, covering her head with her hands.

Bulma only removed her hands from her dusty head and opened her eyes when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Her blue eyes met with a surprising pair of dark brown eyes.

"Nion?" Bulma asked in surprise as she saw the strong Saiyan woman hovering over her.

"No time for questions Bulma. Let's go." The strong woman said as she grabbed Bulma's wrist, lifting her to her feet and dragging her along. Bulma looked over her shoulder to see Kakarot engaged in battle and this one didn't look too good for him.

"Kakarot." Bulma called but Nion had a strong hold on her wrist and she had to run to keep up with the taller woman's strides. "Nion, Kakarot needs your help." Bulma pleaded.

But Bulma's old mistress didn't even look back as she continued to expertly manoeuvre her way through the fallen debris on the ground. Something Bulma was finding more difficult to do.

"Kakarot can handle himself. For now I must get you to safety as he told me to." Nion said as Bulma lifted her free hand to shield her face from the dust and debris that fell from the broken ceiling.

"No!" Bulma screamed as she tried to dig in her heels and not move any further away from Kakarot. Nion was a Saiyan elite, there was no way she would follow orders from a third class warrior. There was no way she would save a simple sex slave. Something didn't add up here.

Try as she might Bulma could not stop herself from being dragged through the old whore house. Her arms and legs were scraped as she was dashed against fallen stone and protruding wood and tears sprung to her eyes, blearing her vision. This was not good. Then they came to a halt. Bulma could barely make out the tiny hallway, that wasn't as damaged as the rest of the whore house or catch her breath, before she was flung across the room with a thunderous smack to her face.

Bulma screamed as she felt her shoulder knock into a stone wall. The other woman was strong, even at her age, and Bulma was no match for her. It wasn't long before Nion grabbed Bulma by her hair and pulled her towards a familiar floor board.

"No!" Bulma screamed as she saw the hatch already open. The all too familiar disgusting smells of faeces and urine assaulted her bleeding nose. "No." Bulma screamed over and over again as she attached her arms around a wooden pillar trying to kick out at Nion.

She didn't want to go back into the pit. She didn't! But it seemed like she didn't have a choice as Nion extricated her arms from the pillar, scraping her tender flesh against the splintered wood. As Nion took her by the hair, ready to shove her into the dastardly pit, Bulma knew she had to think fast and buy herself some more time. It was not easy to focus in her current situation and she wished she had had the foresight to carry a weapon with her. However her tool belt was still with Kakarot. He had been her greatest weapon.

"Shut up you stupid bitch." Nion growled as she was about to throw Bulma inside the pit.

Bulma tried to shut her eyes to the terrible scene that was awaiting her. The stench was so dreadful it made Bulma want to heave out the contents of her stomach. After a trip to the pit Bulma always wanted to scratch out her own skin or dig out her eyeballs, no matter how much she scrubbed at her skin while she bathed. A trip to the pit left her traumatised and docile for weeks, sometimes months, depending on how long her stay in that foul place lasted. "Wait, Nion, please. Tell me why? Why are you doing this?" Bulma pleaded. If it was one thing Bulma knew about Nion it was that she never did anything without a reason.

It was enough to stall Bulma's fall into the pit as Nion stopped her incessant tugging to look at Bulma. Her dark hair highlighted with fiery auburn strands as they lay loose around her broad shoulders, from her normal hold, the overlong strands jutting out in every direction. Her chocolate coloured eyes were bitter as Bulma took in her strong face. Too strong to be considered pretty.

"Because you low class alien bitch, no one escapes Nion's House." Bulma looked at her vengeful stare, a frown marring the blue haired beauties face.

"What?" Bulma couldn't help the disbelief in her voice. She was supposed to be coercing and kind, not outraged and annoyed.

"You took him from me. He was supposed to be my mate. I waited years for him to notice me, to fuck me and when he did I knew we were going to be joined together forever. Then you came along. And he just had to have you, had to fuck you. I told him he could keep you as a mistress, have you whenever he wanted, as long as he impregnated me and mated with me but he refused. Instead he _bought_ you." Nion's voice was harsh and spiteful. Her words as disbelieving as Bulma's had been but angrier. No, furious. Angry was too tame a word to describe Nion's venting.

"Cabba?" Bulma whispered and was awarded with Nion's fingers wrapped painfully around her throat. Bulma scratched at Nion's hand as she sputtered for air, her face turning a worrying shade of blue. She was so close to Nion's face she could see the rage that roared in Nion's eyes, making them almost as dark as Vegeta's. _'Great, my last thoughts before I die are about that arrogant, short, monkey Prince.'_

"Do not speak his name." Nion snarled, her rough voice grating on Bulma's nerves. "You took what was mine. And now you've moved on to some third class while you still live in Cabba's house. How dare you?"

Bulma was quickly slipping into unconsciousness, her head feeling as if it were going to explode any second now from all the blood that rushed there. Then Nion threw her harshly onto the floor and Bulma's shoulder felt like it was going to pop off its socket with one more hit.

She slid to the pillar in the room on her backside, trying to put as much distance between herself and Nion as possible, one hand massaging the skin on her neck as she tried to swallow while gasping for breath. Her starving lungs burning for air Bulma rested against the wooden pillar as if its solidity provided her with courage. Nion turned her back on her, pulling at her unruly hair, as she stared out the tiny porthole. "I could have made him happy. I had more credits than he did. I fucking owned this whore house. And I could have given him a strong offspring or two."

Bulma blocked out Nion's rambling as her eyes desperately searched for something to defend herself against Nion's attacks with. However this room wasn't as destroyed as the rest. It was simply just a little end of the hallway of the whore house. A special place that housed the hatch for the pit and a tiny laundry cupboard at the far end of it. Bulma's eyes landed on a piece of wood, a loose floorboard, that was looming not too far away from her and her eyes widened for a moment as she took in the thumb sized nail that was sticking out at the end of the wood.

She looked over at Nion who was still rambling on about Cabba. Bulma couldn't help the gasp of fear that rasped from her throat while Nion punched her fists against the stone wall, over and over again until Bulma was sure the entire thing would crumble into tiny pebbles. Bulma dropped to her side, trying to stretch her hand towards the sharp piece of wood without taking her eyes off of Nion. Bulma's hand patted the wooden floor to try and find that loose floorboard she was searching for. She turned her head towards the floorboard just for a split second, her hand rounding around the loosened wood as she mentally crowed in triumph. _'Just a little bit more.' _Bulma mentally encouraged herself as she tried to pull the floorboard out completely. She hadn't realised that Nion had stopped speaking though.

It was a second too long Bulma realised as she cried in pain from having her hand stepped on. Nion's large boot was trampling over her wrist, causing Bulma's wrist watch to shatter into pieces that embedded itself into her soft flesh. Her fingers squeezed tighter around the floorboard from the excruciating pain she felt. She cried out in agony as she let go of the wood to try and wriggle her wrist free from Nion's boot.

"Ah, ah, ah." Nion viciously crowed, grinding her feet left and right as if Bulma's wrist was nothing but a cigarette stub.

Just as Bulma was about to beg and plead for her life the pressure from her wrist was relieved. "Kakarot." Bulma whimpered in relief when she looked up to see his tall figure standing above her, after he had blasted Nion away from her, tears uncontrollably falling down her cheeks.

Bulma sighed in relief as he crouched down before her. "Bulma, you ok?" Kakarot asked as his eyes and fingers assessed her injuries.

"I am now." Bulma sobbed as she flung herself at his broad chest.

He didn't embrace her though as he sat her gently away from him standing again. His eyes searching the tiny room they were in. Nion rose from the ground as she glared daggers at Kakarot.

"Not you too." Nion groaned as she had watched Bulma and Kakarot interact. "I don't know what spell that witch can wield but I can tell you now that she's not worth it. Even for you. I'm telling you." Nion lectured as she crouched into a fighting stance. "I will throw her into that pit even if I have to kill you first." The deranged woman promised.

The room was too tiny for a fight and Bulma was glad when Kakarot just slammed Nion into a wall before she could attack him. He was good at that, Bulma absentmindedly thought. But it didn't take long for Nion to recover from Kakarot's hold and smash him into the ground. Bulma could see he was already weary from his previous battles and he was too bloodied and bruised for her liking.

Nion was now straddling Kakarot, her back to Bulma, as she throttled him while banging his head against the floor. Bulma felt panic rise inside of her as Nion was so immersed in her rage Bulma doubted she was aware of where she was or who she was in that moment. Kakarot tried to put his own hand around Nion's throat but he couldn't reach her as he alternated between trying to wrap his hands around her neck and removing her choke hold from his own. Soon he'd be pass out. Fortunately Bulma's brilliant mind formed a plan. She rushed over towards the same loose floorboard she had been trying to pull out before and accomplished her earlier goal.

Bulma ran towards Nion, screaming in the process, as she swung the floorboard at Nion's head as if it were a baseball bat. The thumb sized nail made contact with Nion's head with a sickening squelch. Blood sprayed Bulma's face as she let go of the wood, the nail holding it in mid-air from being stuck into Nion's skull. As fate would have it, Bulma's old tormentor fell sideways into the pit she had meant to throw Bulma in, her eyes still staring lifelessly as she splashed into the shit she had brought upon herself.

* * *

"Why don't you just give up Frieza?" Vegeta mocked as he tightened his strangle hold around Frieza's neck.

The Prince had been enjoying this battle, it wasn't as easier as the ones he had fought earlier on but he always did like a challenge that could test his strength. Besides, he hadn't expected anything less from his lizard enemy. And right now, he was on top. He had been able to keep up with most of Frieza's moves, even though the Ice-jin had moved at a lightning fast speed.

Frieza of course had made some harsh blows against the Prince but none of them were deadly. Vegeta pulled his right arm tighter around Frieza's neck as he held the Ice-jin's left arm backwards, viciously, all the while the Prince's knee was fiercely arching his enemy's back.

Vegeta ignored Frieza's left claws that dug at his arm as he was basking in his power. He felt almost immortal, except for the taste of blood in his mouth, he felt undefeatable. He felt _it_. All his intense training had paid off. He was a Super Saiyan.

Weird though, he would have thought that becoming the Legendary would affect some outward change in his physical appearance but the Prince mentally shrugged. After all, it was the true power he had unleashed inside of him that mattered. Nothing else.

"Where would be the fun in that?" Frieza sputtered.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at Frieza's mocking tone as he realised the Ice-jin had stopped struggling in his hold. He felt Frieza start to vibrate in his hold. Was he having an aneurism or seizure or heart attack or … _'What the fuck was going on?' _The Prince thought before his strangle hold was forcefully broken and he was thrown backwards by a blinding pink light.

* * *

"Kakarot, you have to listen to me." Bulma pleaded as she dabbed some of her healing gel on Kakarot's wounds after she had repaired her wrist and cleaned her face. Removing the shards of glass from her flesh had not been pretty though.

Right now she was trying to convince Kakarot to escape with her as they sat in the tiny hallway of the whore house.

"Bulma." Kakarot flinched as she dabbed a particularly sore spot on his face. "I have strict orders from the Prince to keep you safe. I've already disobeyed them enough." He was tired and sore and although he loved to fight he loved to eat more. And right now he was starving.

Bulma rolled her eyes at this. Vegeta really wasn't concerned about her safety, he was concerned about losing his best scientist. He was concerned about her brain. "Kakarot I'm not just asking you to let me escape, I'm telling you to save yourself too."

"We can take care of ourselves. This is not the first attack our people have been under."

Bulma sighed at this. "Listen, I've helped Vegeta enough, I don't want to live here any longer than I already have. He's used me more than enough."

"Tell me something Bulma, was it only Vegeta doing the using or did you get something out of this deal too?" Kakarot questioned wisely. Bulma averted her gaze from Kakarot's probing one. "I thought as much." He said in a rarity of bitterness. At that Bulma's head whipped back up.

"Look, it was your kind that enslaved me on this bloody planet, to live this fucked up life, in the first place. As much as you pretend to care, you really don't. You're as selfish and cold hearted as the rest of them Kakarot." Bulma spat indignantly. She was not done yet though, her anger had been bottled up for years now and the stopper had finally been popped off. "You go on some self-righteous path of protecting woman but from who? They're the same woman _you_ yourself captured. You're a hypocrite. I watched you today. This is what you live for, bloodshed and war. And you don't care that I'm caught up in the middle of it, unable to even defend myself."

"Bulma, I'm not pretending. I do care about you." Kakarot insisted.

But Bulma was too furious to hear him as she snorted at his words. "Not as much as you cared about her." Bulma felt herself petulantly declare. She envied Chi Chi for having Kakarot to protect her while she had had to fend for herself. Then the other woman got herself pregnant with his child and was shipped off to Namek to live in peaceful safety. She wished someone had cared for her in that way.

Kakarot flinched at that accusation. "Chi Chi was taken by Raditz. He felt that she would be a good companion for me when he got promoted because she was battle trained. She was also around my age and she was female so she could serve as a house slave too." Kakarot explained as if that justified Bulma's less than kind feelings towards a woman she had only met twice now.

"And was getting her pregnant part of the plan too?" Bulma asked sarcastically before she could stop herself.

Kakarot looked stern. "It just happened. We were both young and curious. I was only sixteen. And you know that half-breeds are an abomination here, I had to send them away. What would you have me do? Let them kill her and the unborn child or should I have killed them?"

Bulma immediately felt some of her anger ebb away at his question. "Of course not. But …" she stopped, unsure of what she wanted to say anymore.

"But what?" Kakarot probed.

"But you didn't take care of me ok. You weren't there for me when I had to sleep with a different Saiyan every day. When my _bad behaviour_ got me thrown into that pit." Bulma pointed out to the pit that Nion had tried throwing her in earlier.

"I already explained to you why I brought you here that day in your cell. Once I had found out you were sent here to Nion what was I supposed to have done? What would you have had me do Bulma? I couldn't afford to buy you." Kakarot felt some self-righteous anger at their conversation rise inside of him. Anger at her and himself.

"You know what? Just forget it. I'm leaving this God forsaken planet and if you want you're going to have to knock me out or kill me to make me stay." Bulma challenged as she made to get up.

Before she could move though Kakarot grabbed her wrist and pulled her into him. He didn't want to fight with her, he was drained. But neither did he want to knock her out. What he really wanted to do was show her he cared. So he did, in the only way he thought he knew how.

He kissed her. It wasn't experienced or seductive like Vegeta's, it was sloppy and desperate.

Bulma's eyes widened at the feel of his lips against her own. After the day's events if she had to sleep with one last person to escape this planet then she would. Even if it was Kakarot. That was what she thought when she immediately returned his kiss. But something stopped her. It was the way he kissed her. Tenderly and gently as if anything else would bruise her lips. He wasn't demanding or harsh. It was almost innocent and soft and Bulma felt him pour words of care into her mouth.

She sobbed involuntarily into his mouth. Crying for her innocence and what could have been if she had been in Chi Chi's shoes. But she also knew this was wrong and she didn't want to play the part of a whore anymore. Today she finally wanted to leave who she had become behind, so that self could die where it had been born, scattering into nothing more but space dust.

Kakarot didn't know what he was expecting to feel when he kissed Bulma but he was disappointed to find that it wasn't there. The kiss felt wrong and he felt a rare surge of guilt at his actions swirl inside of him. Being trained for the line of work he did never allowed for emotions like guilt or mercy. But as she sobbed into his mouth, feeding her pain and sorrow into him, he tightened his hold around her.

Finally Bulma placed her palms against his chest and pushed at him. He broke the kiss and loosened his hold on her, but did not let her go completely.

"I do care about you." He told her as if he expected her to understand what he was trying to say. And she did. She did, because she cared to.

"I know you do. That's what friends are for." Bulma gave him a hesitant smile.

The concept was as strange to him as the connection he felt and didn't feel with her but the word made something in his chest tighten. His first friend. Saiyan's had family and comrades, they didn't have friends. They would even kill their own blood if they had to. It was who they were. Raised to be warriors first and everything else second. But that was what she was to him and he cared about her so much it ached. But he realised he didn't have to express himself to her with intimate gestures or physicality. There were other ways to be friends too.

"Friends." He tested the word out loud and was rewarded by a beaming smile from Bulma. She did understand.

Her smile didn't last long though as she turned serious once again. "Kakarot, as a friend I'm going to be honest with you. Frieza hasn't come here just to attack this planet. I think he's after Vegeta."

"Vegeta. Why?" Kakarot asked.

"Because I think he intends to take Vegeta for himself. I don't know why Frieza wants Vegeta though, or what that monster plans to do with him, but I definitely know Frieza wants Vegeta. He doesn't care about what happens to the rest of the Saiyans. He's going to blow up the planet whether he gets Vegeta or not." Bulma told Kakarot honestly.

"What? No, that doesn't make any sense." Kakarot shook his head at her.

"Look you have to believe me. I found this out from hacking into Frieza's mainframe." Bulma told him.

Kakarot frowned. "How come Vegeta or my father didn't know about this?" He asked.

Bulma looked him straight in the eye as she held his face in her hands. "I didn't tell them ok. I thought that I could escape using Frieza's attack as a diversion."

Kakarot sighed. "You really want to escape don't you?" Bulma just nodded at his rhetorical question. "I can't abandon my Planet Bulma."

"And what will you do Kakarot? Die with this Planet?" Bulma asked.

"No, but we can stop Frieza before he does destroy it."

Bulma shook her head. "The only person who can stop him is Vegeta. And if I didn't know any better I think he must be fighting Frieza right now."

At this Kakarot pulled out his scouter and pressed a few dials in it as he set it into his ear. "You're right." Kakarot said softly, his face marred by shock.

"Kakarot, what is it?" Bulma questioned as his face paled.

"Frieza's power just keeps rising and rising. It's almost a hundred thousand."

"What?" Bulma shrieked. "But it was only around fifty thousand before. That was what I had found in his records. That's what Vegeta knew. Vegeta's been training to surpass that number ever since. Vegeta was only …"

"Sixty three thousand." Kakarot supplied in a faraway voice.

Bulma shook Kakarot and his eyes focused on hers. "We have to get out of here." Bulma pleaded. "There's no way Vegeta will beat Frieza now."

"I have to help him." Kakarot said as he stood up, flexing his slightly sore muscles.

"Kakarot, you're crazy." Bulma grabbed at his hand trying desperately to make him see reason. "We have to get out of here."

"I have a duty to my Prince Bulma."

"Vegeta can take care of himself. I don't think Frieza plans on killing him. Trust me." Bulma promised.

"I can't. What about everyone else? They don't know what Frieza plans on doing to this planet."

"Then send a message to every scouter you can. The message will spread." Bulma said hurriedly. But the determined look in his eyes didn't change. "Frieza has a small army here. Do you think he's going to let you or anyone else stand in his way? We have to leave this one to Vegeta." Bulma tried to reason but Kakarot's expression remained unmoved. "What about Chi Chi and little Gohan?" Bulma played her trump cards. "What about me? The only way to help Vegeta is to escape and find a way to get to him later on. You heard him, he needs me." Bulma reasoned.

She saw the internal war Kakarot was waging before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. "Come on." He said while tapping at his scouter trying to send a link to everyone else.

When they stepped outside the sight that greeted them left them speechless. It seemed there was no need for that message after all. The red skies of Vegeta-sei were a grim black, grey smoke billowed upwards to form thick black clouds that loomed ominously above them and the wind was becoming stronger and stronger. Thunder roared almost deafeningly around them and red lightning sparked and crackled to highlight the dark skies.

"It's too late." Bulma whispered. Frieza had most probably already sent a blast powerful enough to shake the core of Vegeta-sei. Even if he didn't blow up the Planet it was going to self-destruct at any moment now.

"We have to go." Kakarot pulled a stunned Bulma into his arms as he flew off into the dark skies as if he had finally understood the severity of the situation Bulma had been trying to convince him of.

Lava sprung from the ground, snapping at their heels as they flew, the planet shook violently, sand storms whirled in the air, making it impossible for even Saiyans to fight against nature at her angriest. The docking bay was a riot. Saiyans and aliens alike were trying to fill up pods and ships to escape in. It was of no use though, none of the pods were working with the Planet nearing destruction. They were all going to die.

Kakarot set her down behind a large ship that wasn't in the midst of people running or fighting around. "I'll be back. Just stay here ok. Let me see if I can get us a ship."

Bulma just absent minded-ly nodded as she sunk down onto her knees without Kakarot's strong hold to keep her standing. "I'm going to die on this planet." Bulma said disbelievingly as she laughed hysterically. "After everything I've been through, everything I've done, I'm going to fucking die on this fucking planet."

"Bulma!" She heard Kakarot scream for her just as a wave of molten hot lava was gushing towards her, consuming hundreds of people – who didn't manage to fly away fast enough – and ships in its wake as it made its way towards her. People were trying to swim out from the lava but when they surfaced from the sea of fire they were nothing but melting flesh before their screaming skeletons were once again swallowed into the molten waves. Bulma closed her eyes, unable to breathe as she waited for the flames to engulf her. It would be a pre experience of the burning punishment awaiting her when she arrived in hell.


	10. Chapter 10

**A HUGE thanks to AQUESTRA for her awesome Beta-ing for this chapter. You rock! All credit for the quality of this chapter really goes to her! Any mistakes here was most likely me playing around with it after she sent it to me. Sorry! Also, check out her new BV fic, The Immortal Mercenary. It's going to be great**

**Special shout out to SaiyanPrincessBB who demanded this chapter, sorry for the delay. Check out hers and SaiyanPrincessofCalifornia's lovely BV work and give them some love.**

**WARNINGS: BAD LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE AND BLOOD**

* * *

**Revenge: An Earthling's Retribution**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

"Bulma!" She heard Kakarot scream for her just as waves of molten hot lava gushed towards her, consuming hundreds of people – who didn't manage to fly away fast enough – and ships in its wake. People were trying to swim out from the lava, but when they surfaced from the sea of fire, they were nothing but melting flesh before their screaming skeletons were once again swallowed into the molten waves. Bulma closed her eyes, unable to breathe as she waited for the flames to engulf her. It would be a pre-experience of the burning punishment awaiting her when she arrived in hell.

She was sure her heart had stopped beating way before the heat of the fire had engulfed her whole. Bulma closed her eyes with an exhalation of breath as her shoulders sagged with acceptance of her fate.

When she opened her eyes, she expected to be in the depths of hell, burning for all eternity, until her blackened soul burst into flames as well. Bulma was absolutely sure that that was to be her punishment for all her sins and yet when she opened her eyes she immediately closed them again. Like a child who shouldn't be peaking she opened her eyes once again before scrunching them shut for the second time. She was afraid that if she opened her eyes one more time the scenery before her would have all been a figment of her imagination, conjured from her deprived heart, and so she kept her eyelids shut and took in a shaky breath.

She could breathe, she could see and she could smell and she was completely at a loss as to what in the hell was going on. Then she could hear as well.

"Bulma." Her name was called so softly and familiarly she felt it like the chill of the cold winds that breezed against her skin. Bulma shivered and shook her head in disbelief but it was her name, being called again, that made her cautiously open her eyes. To her delight her surroundings remained the same and Bulma's eyes glazed over with unshed tears.

"Mamma?" Bulma asked uncertainly as she took in the beauty of the pale blues and pure whites before her. She was back on Earth, back on her beautiful planet and on the grounds of her own home.

The normally lush green grass of Capsule Corporation, the tops of her home's domed roofs and the large fir trees her parents normally brought over for Christmas were all covered with a thick mat of pure white snow. Baubles and lights adorned their home and the fir trees and a snowman, that looked like she had built at the innocent age of six, stood proudly in their compound.

However it was the blonde haired woman standing before her that made Bulma feel warm inside and caused tears to gush from her eyes and stream down her cheeks. "Mama." Bulma screamed and from pure longing and happiness she ran into her mother's arms.

Bulma's unconditionally loving mother wrapped her slender arms around Bulma and cradled her daughter to her chest. Bulma's legs gave way underneath her and she pulled her mother onto the blanket of snow beneath them. She expected to feel cold in her attire under the circumstances but she didn't. She actually felt warm and safe and Bulma revelled in the glowing feeling of happiness she hadn't felt since she had been sixteen. She sobbed uncontrollably, her face buried in her mother's chest, and she felt loved once again as her mother rubbed her back and murmured soothing words of comfort to her.

After Bulma's tears dried up and nothing but dry sniffles were heard, her mother lifted her face and wiped away any lingering traces of tears that remained on her cheeks. "Oh Bulma, crying makes your eyes puffy and your skin blotchy dear. You're too beautiful to cry."

And with that Bulma's pouty lips curled into a full-blown smile which turned into laughter. Genuine laughter that instantly melted the edges of her cold heart. She missed her mother dearly. Even the other woman's inappropriate comments about wrinkles and the hazards of smoking at the most inappropriate times.

Her mother looked beautiful and reassuring, like she always did. But all Bulma could think about was how _real_ her mother looked and felt, bathed in the warm smell of roses and homemade cooking. Real and alive. "Mamma, it's really you."

"It is dear." Her mother bestowed a radiant smile filled with pride and love at her.

Happiness was like a precious oasis in the middle of a dry desert and all Bulma could think to do was quench her dehydration of misery the last nine years of her life had caused. "They aren't taking me to hell?" Bulma whispered curiously, seemingly innocent and child-like in her mother's presence. She was positive her mother would never be sent to hell. Bunny was too good for that. Her mother didn't immediately answer her but Bulma was too pleased to notice.

"Where's dad?" Bulma asked as she sat back on her thighs so she could peer around her mother to search for her father.

She expected to see him walk outside to join them any moment now; a cigarette between his lips and his black cat on his shoulder. Bunny ran her hands down her daughters arms before capturing Bulma's hands in her own, squeezing them tightly, her own sparkling blue eyes glazed with unshed tears.

"He couldn't come dear." Bunny's voice was as lilting as always but Bulma frowned at her words.

"What do you mean he couldn't come?"

"You still have much to accomplish my sweet baby girl. I know you will. You've always been so determined and independent." Bunny answered cryptically.

Just as Bulma was about to query her mother's words, Bunny pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead and Bulma closed her eyes to bask in the long since forgotten gesture of love. An ominous chill caressed her skin making Bulma shudder and she slowly opened her eyes.

Like a nightmare cascading into a wonderful dream a dark shadow fell upon them. The bleak darkness wrapped itself around Bulma and pried her away from her mother. Bulma tried to move, to scream, to stay but the shadow refused to release her from its relentless hold. Bulma instantly felt cold and alone and she began to cry again. This time she shed tears of sadness and not happiness.

"Mama." Bulma screamed as she reached out for her mother feeling her stomach turn over as the glow her mother and Capsule Corporation radiated grew further away from her grasp.

"Bulma." Bunny cried as her daughter was snatched away from the safety of her arms. Bulma felt the warmth her mother had emanated leave her. She felt icy and despondent and she screamed as if she were being crucified.

"Bulma. Bulma, wake up. You're fine."

Bulma opened her heavy eyelids to see Kakarot hovering uncertainly above her. She blinked a few times to register her surroundings before she shot up from the ground she had been lying on. As she moved her head from side to side and rubbed her aching temples, running her fingers through her blue hair, Bulma realised she was still on Vegeta-sei. Bulma shook her head and looked up at Kakarot. Bulma immediately became aware of the stinging in her legs and arms as her mind noticed Kakarot using some healing gel to repair her burnt skin.

"I made it to you just in time. That lava was sure moving at a fast speed." Kakarot told her.

His words triggered her memory as she realised he had flown to her just as the lava was about to swallow her whole. She had obviously blacked out for some time from the anxiety the day had brought on. Some of the hot liquid had already splashed on her legs and upper body though. She noticed that Kakarot's black uniform was also burned through and his own legs and arms were seared as well.

Her mother had only appeared in her dreams and Bulma had never left Vegeta-sei. Bulma unconsciously wiped the tears that wet her cheeks before reality snapped her out of her daydreams.

"Kakarot we have to get out of here."

"Bulma …" He stuttered.

He looked at her, hopelessness etched on his face and she felt like they were back to that day when he was trying to sneak a pregnant Chi Chi off planet. He didn't have a clue as to what he should do. This was not the Kakarot who had attacked Vegeta or kissed her or took her to Namek for her enjoyment …

"That's it." Bulma shouted as she sprung to her feet much like her light bulb idea had sparked in her head.

"What is?" Kakarot asked her as he too stood up.

Bulma ignored him while she took her tool belt, which was slung around his shoulder, from him to empty its contents out onto the ground. "Where is it?" Bulma shrieked as she rummaged through a number of different coloured capsules.

"What are you looking for Bulma?" Kakarot frowned at her. He felt uneasy not knowing what to do to help. Part of him would rather be facing Frieza now than standing around waiting to die from his home world exploding.

"Kakarot, where is it?" Bulma screamed in irritation as she hurriedly scrutinised every capsule she had. It wasn't an easy feat considering she had about a hundred of them with different coloured labels and codes on it.

"What Bulma?" Kakarot asked in frustration.

"The fucking pink capsule that had my space ship in it." Bulma groaned as she slammed her fists into the sand. "Fuck. We must have lost it."

"Bulma, what the hell is a ship going to do now. None of the pods are working out here." Kakarot demanded.

"I have an idea ok. But we need a ship." Bulma threw everything she had taken out back into her bag, unconsciously shoving sand into her tool belt as well. "Come on." She said as she slung her belt around her waist, clasping it securely before she held onto Kakarot. "We have to find a pod that isn't damaged."

If it had been anyone else besides Bulma, Kakarot would have argued with them. But the Saiyan did have first hand experience with how brilliant Bulma was when it came to technology and so he wisely complied with her wishes. He flew off into the direction of the docking bay with Bulma nervously clinging onto him. They hovered over the demolished area trying to spot a space ship that hadn't been damaged.

"Idiots, I introduced encapsulation for their ships and they still keep it out in the open to be tampered with." Bulma complained.

"That's it." Kakarot cried as he rocketed towards the docking bay. "Bulma, you truly are a genius." He screamed as Bulma shrieked from Kakarot's pace and ducked her head in the crook of his neck.

"I am?" She gulped as she tried to settle her rioting stomach.

Kakarot swarmed around the docking bay's station but it was barely there. The roof was gone and so were most of its walls. Fortunately though it hadn't been swept away by the lava. Kakarot landed smoothly, before he gently set Bulma down, as he walked briskly towards the station with Bulma following closely behind him. He walked carefully over some rubble before he came across a fallen shelf.

He turned around to look at Bulma who was carefully eyeing the demolished station. "I'm going to lift this shelf up and I want you to see if you can uncover any undamaged pod capsules ok?" Kakarot told her.

"That's a brilliant idea Kakarot. I'm impressed." Bulma winked at him and he smiled at her compliment.

"Ok." He said as he bent down. He gripped the edges of the floor to ceiling shelf and huffed as he lifted it off the ground. It wasn't too heavy for him but he had to hold onto it because there wasn't any place to let it stand against.

Bulma dropped to her knees and searched through the debris on the ground. "Ouch." She cried.

"Bulma, what is it?" Kakarot asked, his heart catching in his throat as he experienced a moment of panic for her safety since she was obstructed from his view by the bulking shelf.

"It's nothing. I just pricked my thumb." Bulma grouched as she sucked at her bleeding thumb before continuing her search for a capsule. "Bingo." She cried as she stood up again. Kakarot lowered the shelf and Bulma jumped at least ten feet high in excitement. "Let's go." Bulma told him as she threw the capsule in the air before safely catching it in her palm again.

"Let's go." Kakarot agreed as they flew off.

* * *

Vegeta removed himself from the rock he had been smashed into and his eyes narrowed as he watched Frieza continue to radiate that hideous pink light.

He walked closer to him and pressed at his scouter. "What the fuck?" Vegeta shook with rage. Not fear, rage. Frieza's power level was exceeding fifty thousand and still rising. Almost to a hundred thousand. There was a flash of blinding light before Vegeta's scouter cracked against his face. He barely felt the sting it made against his skin before he removed the now useless device from his ear. His scouter had read one hundred and thirty thousand before it went off.

"Impossible." Vegeta whispered as he gulped in horror and shame. He was way out of his league here. Part of him wanted to take flight. Run away. But he was no coward. He had too much pride for that course of action.

No, he'd rather die in battle. That was the most honourable death for him. He wouldn't go down without a fight though. No matter how outmatched he was. He wiped his hand against his mouth after he spat phlegm and blood at the ground before walking towards Frieza. He was definitely unprepared for what he saw standing before him.

Frieza had transformed. Like Saiyans could transform using the moon, the Ice-jin could transform at will. Frieza wasn't puny anymore. He was taller and meaner looking. Still ugly, but meaner looking. He radiated power.

"Fuck." Vegeta growled as his dark eyes took in the overlord's tall frame. The Ice-jin's scaly skin was stretched taut with firm muscles, his black horns glinting dangerously from his purple head and his imposing aura crackled with a newfound strength. Although it was Frieza's beady, blood red eyes that sent a foreboding chill that Vegeta fought with all his mind to suppress from running through him in the form of a shiver.

The Saiyan Prince's mind wondered towards the Legendary transformation of his own people and realisation pierced him like a dagger to his chest. He was no closer to being a Super Saiyan than he had been a year ago. No Super Saiyan, with royal, elite blood pulsing through his veins, would be defeated by a mere Ice-jin. The fact that he hadn't had any significant changes towards his physical appearance was because he was not a Legendary warrior. The surge in his power level was nothing but a boost from his extensive training regimen. Vegeta felt a crippling sense of defeat start to smother him even with his temper raging furiously inside of him.

Frieza stuck out his hands and posed in all his powerful – still ugly – glory as he smirked at Vegeta. "Don't be frightened Vegeta. I don't want to hurt you." Frieza cooed as if he were talking to a scared little child.

"Why would I be afraid of an ugly lizard who just beefed himself up? Fancy little trick Frieza, but even I can transform." Vegeta scowled at the Ice-jin's tone.

Frieza gave a joyous cackle as he placed both of his outstretched hands behind his back. "Yes Vegeta, I'm well aware of your other form. But I really don't wish to fight you, I've come to make a deal."

Vegeta snorted. "By attacking my planet?" He sneered. "Or purging my galaxy?"

"Now, now Vegeta, I do not want to discuss politics with you. The Planet Trade Organisation is a crass matter to discuss in such surroundings. There is much you don't know of. Right Zarbon?" Frieza tilted his head slightly towards his right hand man in question.

"Yes Lord Frieza." Zarbon bowed his head at being addressed by his master.

"Find him. Bring him here so he may speak to Vegeta. Maybe convince him to choose the best path for himself now." Frieza ordered Zarbon.

"Don't Bother." Vegeta spat. "The King is dead."

"Oh I know that Vegeta. I am omniscient after all." Frieza announced smugly. "But don't worry, I won't shame your father by revealing the true nature of his death. I think he's been embarrassed enough by not being able to lead his Empire successfully." Frieza whispered sadly as if he were offering platitudes for the late King. "Don't you agree?"

"How dare you." Vegeta hissed as his fists clenched at his sides. He felt lost and disadvantaged on his own fucking planet and he slowly felt his control begin to slip away from him. Vegeta screamed his fury as he charged towards Frieza head on.

It was like Frieza didn't even move to defend himself. Every punch or kick Vegeta threw his way was easily sidestepped or blocked. That was until Frieza finally hit him. It was one punch. One fucking solid punch that had the Saiyan Prince flying into the sky.

Vegeta growled as he halted himself in mid-air. He raised up his hands and faced his palms towards Frieza. Then he let loose an assault of hundreds of tennis ball sized ki blasts that engulfed Frieza in a sphere of energy. When the dust settled Vegeta landed again, slightly out of breath, as he wiped away the sweat that had gathered on his forehead.

He had been prepared to see Frieza walk towards him after his attack but what Vegeta hadn't expected to see was that Frieza was completely unscathed. Not even a scratch. Vegeta cursed as he rushed towards Frieza again. This time he didn't even manage to throw a punch as the lizard lord's thick tail quickly flicked out to smack Vegeta right across his face.

The Saiyan Prince's eyes grew wide as he crashed into the ground. Of all the humiliating acts he had to endure, none came close to being smacked into the dirt like nothing but a common house fly. That was it. No more. He would endure no more humiliation at the hands of the Ice-jin. Vegeta stood up shakily and brokenly chuckled as he spat out some dirt.

"Well you scaly, piece of lizard trash, let's play it your way then." Vegeta snarled.

"Now, now Vegeta. There's no need for name calling." Frieza chastised.

Vegeta growled at being reprimanded like a child but ignored it. He conjured a pure white ball of ki in his palm, before he commanded it to split, and then form into one ball of massive light and perch itself in the darkening sky. It presented itself as the moon and Vegeta uncurled his fury brown tail from around his waist as he gave in to the moon's pull.

The pounding of his heart was all he could hear as his blood began to pump fiercely inside of him. His veins pulsed with vigorous strength as his skin stretched across his expanding body. Thick brown fur sprouted from his skin and his already sharp canines stretched into fangs. His own eyes were nothing but blood red pools of power as he transformed into a giant ape. He felt pure strength course through his veins and he resisted the urge to beat at his chest as he roared loudly before looking down at Frieza.

"The great Oozaru. How … _fascinating_." Frieza drawled out the last word in a bored tone that made Vegeta want to rip out his head and shove it up his ass.

Vegeta opened his mouth and flashing red ki shot out from his lips aiming straight at Frieza. The Ice-jin simply sprung into the air to avoid being hit. Before Frieza could turn around, from the massive crater in the ground, to look at him, Vegeta had his large palm wrapped around Frieza. Vegeta squeezed the Ice-jin in his hands, glad that both Frieza's hands were trapped at his sides, hoping to crush his bones inside of him.

However to his great despair all Frieza did was spread his arms and slowly, with a strength that even the proud Saiyan Prince couldn't deny, extricated himself from Vegeta's hold. Frieza then went on to hold Vegeta's large hand in his own and break a finger with unnecessary force. Vegeta tried to swat Frieza away with his other hand but the Ice-jin was too quick for his own clumsy movements. Frieza just pulled Vegeta's hand with him while he avoided being clubbed at. Vegeta tried to lift his captured hand to smash Frieza into the ground but the Ice-jin, to his dismay, kept Vegeta's hand still.

Saiyans prided themselves on the power the transformation of the great Oozaru offered them. The humongous stature of a gorilla like creature that could desecrate entire worlds with the stomp of their big feet and here the Prince of all Saiyans could not even manage to keep his enemy in the hold of his gigantic paw. The Oozaru's rich brown fur bristled in affront and his luminous eyes blazed in fury as his fanged jaw growled out dangerously making Vegeta's long snout twitch furiously.

Vegeta roared in pain and anger while Frieza chuckled near his large and overly sensitive ears, whispering how incompetent his Oozaru state was, just before Frieza sent a red beam at Vegeta's ki moon. It shattered into a million pieces of flickering light that scattered into the ground. Immediately Vegeta began to shrink to his normal size. All his strength shrinking away with his size, leaving him feeling depleted. When he was returned to his normal state he stared at Frieza with nothing but hatred as he flexed his hand that had three broken fingers on it.

No one had ever challenged the Saiyan Prince and went on to defeat him in battle before. It was not an experience Vegeta found himself enjoying and his pride struggled to accept his situation as real.

The scene Vegeta found himself in no longer produced the enthralling power of battle glory but rather it wrought on the shame he felt at being defeated. His pride refused to be broken though and he slowly stood again. Vegeta was not going to stand back and cower at the Ice-jin's feet. He was the Prince of all Saiyans. And so he fought. And he fought. And every time Frieza pummelled him into the ground he would get up again. He had a dislocated shoulder, three broken fingers, about three broken ribs on each side, he was sure one of his lungs was punctured and all he could taste was blood and dirt.

Yet he still stood again.

Regally.

That was until Frieza grabbed him by his hair and ground his face into the dirt. The ruthless tyrant then lifted Vegeta up again and brought his body flush against his own. Vegeta could not help the shudder of disgust he felt at being in physical contact with the Ice-jin. Especially when Frieza's cold breath was at his ear.

"This is why I want you Vegeta. You're not a glutton for punishment. Oh contraire. You're so proud and strong. And that's why I'd love to have you as a pet. You'd be the best to break. To beat and beat until all the spirit is taken from you."

"Never." Vegeta vehemently denied.

"And then you will be mine to do as I please with." Frieza ignored Vegeta's denial. "They always refuse in the beginning Vegeta. They all do, but eventually they beg me to end it."

"Screw you, you sick son of a bitch." Vegeta spat. That earned Vegeta a hard thud against his side with Frieza's thick tail which caused Vegeta to cough out more blood.

"Do you know what the funny part is Vegeta. This is only my second form. I have two more after this and you couldn't even handle me at this stage. My power at my complete form is over one million, what makes you think you could ever beat me." Frieza whispered conspiringly to Vegeta.

At this Vegeta went rigid in Frieza's hold. "You lie." He almost croaked out and if he were a lesser man he would have blasted off his own head right now.

Before Frieza could respond Zarbon dropped down before them. He wasn't alone though. Zarbon threw a bloodied body at Frieza's feet and the Ice-jin dropped Vegeta to his knees.

"Vegeta, I _allowed_ you to make those plays against my Empire. I could have stopped you at any time, by coming to you and crushing you like the insect you are but I didn't. Do you know why? Because I wanted to see how far the Saiyan Prince could really go. I couldn't understand how you raging monkeys infiltrated my systems and was plotting against me. But instead of killing off my incompetent technicians and re-opening my systems I decided to let you have your fun. All the while gaining precious information on what you've been up to." Frieza spoke sweetly.

"You." Vegeta spat, his eyes focused solely on the newcomer and not Frieza.

The battered and bruised being looked up at Vegeta. "I'm sorry, I had to do something …"

"Just shut the fuck up." Vegeta cursed as he stood up from his embarrassing position.

"Now, now Vegeta, play nice. There are some things I want you to hear first before you decide your fate. I want you to understand how useless your struggles will be."

* * *

"Are you sure this will work?" Kakarot asked as he paced around the pod that Bulma was currently underneath.

"Yes I'm sure." Bulma reassured him for what felt like the hundredth time already. "The system could be engaged to take off in these conditions but that would take up time – we don't have – to set. So I'm hoping to make the pod take off on a default action using nothing but pure nitrous. Hopefully that will get us out of the planet's atmosphere and allow the system to start working normally again. That should give us enough time to launch the pod and set co-ordinates for travel." Bulma explained.

"You hope?" Kakarot asked uncertainly.

"Yes." Bulma sighed. "I haven't tried this before. Have you managed to contact your dad as yet?" Bulma tried to get Kakarot's mind away from her work.

"No." Kakarot replied despondently.

"Relax, he's probably already off planet or engaged in battle. Bardock's a smart man, he'll get out." Bulma said as she squinted at some wires.

"I hope so." Kakarot replied.

"Yes." Bulma cheered as she got up from her kneeling position.

"Did it work?"

Bulma wiped her rubber gloved hands against her forehead and looked impassively at Kakarot. "There's only one way to find out." She told him honestly as she stood up.

"Right." He nodded as he went towards the pod. She watched as he stopped moving and looked over his shoulder at his home world before sighing. She could empathise with him and his reluctance to leave. Remembering when she had wanted to see Earth until it couldn't be seen from space anymore. Of course she had never had the chance to do so and her last memories of Earth were blurred images of running and hiding and death and destruction.

Bulma begrudgingly decided to give him a few moments to himself and walked over towards the pod before getting inside it. She plugged in a chip from her scouter into the pod's control panel. Bulma crowed in triumph when the system rebooted but as expected its signal was scrambled and couldn't launch itself into space. The genius went into default mode changing minor programming so she could work around the ships structure. She changed the propulsion system to work with the nitrous, much like a rocket, so the ship could blast off without using its engine.

"That's it." Bulma laughed as she made quick progress on her plans.

"Where do you think your'll are going to?"

Bulma and Kakarot looked up to see a familiar looking alien touch down before them. She watched as the alien unwittingly spurred Kakarot's decision to leave Vegeta-sei as he quickly fired a large ki blast at the orange alien before he ran towards her. As the orange alien was moved away a little from the momentum of the blast Kakarot hurried into the pod with Bulma and she settled herself between his parted legs.

"Please work, please work." Bulma pleaded as she typed furiously to set her plan into action.

Just as the lanky alien, whose nose Kakarot had broken earlier, started to fly towards them at an alarming speed the pod's screen flashed in warning.

"Bulma do something." Kakarot panicked. He did not want to have to fight the alien and risk damaging one of the only pods he and Bulma had. Or get Bulma killed by being caught in the crossfire of a brutal fight.

"I'm trying." Bulma replied. The blue haired beauty couldn't breathe as her stomach did cartwheels from trying to work faster while in peril. Bulma felt as if she were detonating a bomb that was about to explode at any moment now. She could almost hear the ticking of an imaginary clock in her brilliant mind as precious seconds went by.

"Now." Kakarot exploded just as Bulma slammed her palm down onto the launch button. The hatch whirred closed and Bulma sunk back against Kakarot with a loud sigh as the pod blasted off, vibrating shakily out of Vegeta-sei's atmosphere.

* * *

"Vegeta, I had to do something to avenge the crown of Vegeta-sei." Zorn tried to explain. I couldn't let that whore wheedle her way into our plans. Especially with what she had done to the King. Your father."

"I had control of the situation." Vegeta barked out harshly. But his normally gruff and commanding voice sounded scratchy and worn out, losing its desired effect.

"Control. She was using her mind to barter with you. And you allowed it." Zorn contradicted. "How long was it before she got to you?" Zorn tried to reason.

"I am the Prince of every fucking Saiyan. She is a mere weakling. You on the other hand …" Vegeta pointed a threatening finger towards Zorn and the older Saiyan gulped. "Cannot be trusted. You decided selling us all out to Frieza was worth getting rid of her?" Vegeta demanded.

Zorn could not offer a response to Vegeta's question. In actuality he had believed his Prince had finally reached a new level of strength that would have been enough to defeat the monstrosity called Frieza. Obviously, looking at Vegeta's beaten state, that was not true. Zorn could not bring himself to explain this to Vegeta because he could tell the humiliation Vegeta was inwardly struggling with would only further infuriate the volatile Prince.

Zorn had known Vegeta since he had been a little boy and he had worked under the late King for over a decade now. He knew much about their personalities and state of minds. He was afraid that anything he said now would push the Prince over the edge. He had not truly anticipated this outcome when he had made contact with Frieza, trying to draw the Ice-jin to Vegeta-sei. Zorn had merely seen it as a calculated risk since Vegeta had increased in strength and boasted about having surpassed Frieza's power level. In the end it wasn't Vegeta that had drawn out Frieza, it was Zorn with his cunning political mind. Zorn had seen it as a way to eradicate two problems at once. Vegeta would kill Frieza and he would kill that whore. Neither had worked out as he had planned though.

Frieza had stood quietly aside, watching the exchange unfold with slight amusement before he spoke. "Why don't you start at the beginning Zorn, and explain to the young Prince exactly why the Saiyan Empire was crumbling around the King and that coward couldn't do anything to stop it."

Zorn looked at Frieza with pure hatred before he turned to Vegeta, his fists still clenched at his sides. Zorn preferred to be on the ground, hoping his defensive posture would appease his Prince.

"When you were ten your father made a pact with Frieza. King Vegeta promised to give you to the Ice-jin and work under Frieza's rule as long as he was allowed to keep our planet and rule over us."

"But Vegeta got greedy and all that wealth he received from squandering other planets went to his head. So he turned traitor on our deal." Frieza chipped in.

"No." Zorn denied. "He managed to find out that once Frieza had you he was planning to blow up our Planet. Your father changed his mind."

Vegeta did not want to deal with this right now. He had just been defeated by the Ice-jin and now he had to listen to his father's cowardly behaviour as well. But listen he did. And he couldn't seem to make sense of it all. If his father had reneged on his deal with Frieza then why hadn't the Ice-jin just killed them all and kidnapped him ages ago. Why now? As if sensing Vegeta's thoughts Frieza spoke.

"Ah Vegeta, that is another thing I rather like about you, you aren't as dumb as the rest of your kind." Frieza mockingly praised. "Let me tell you Vegeta there is a fine art to revenge. It's not all just mindless killing. You have to enjoy the kill, know that you are ripping away everything from your enemy before you deliver that final blow. It's a game of waiting. To torture your enemy, having them continuously look behind their shoulder and wonder when you're going to strike. Knowing they are completely powerless to stop you." Frieza spoke, his voice eerily calm but the danger in his tone unmistakeable.

"Why wait till now then?" Vegeta asked the Ice-jin.

Frieza chuckled. "That foolish King had nothing. I had been the one to introduce him to purging and taking what you want. Then he decided to take all for himself. So I allowed him to build an Empire on blood and bones because I knew I could rip it all away from him whenever I wanted to. And I enjoyed the little rivalry we had going on, each trying to outdo the other." Frieza flayed his hands elegantly as he spoke.

"Remember Vegeta, revenge is only sweet when you get to punish the person you are after by making them suffer. But then that fool had to go get himself killed by a woman. I'm very pleased to say that you impressed me though Vegeta. I've kept a close eye on you for years now. You did well when your sire departed; very well. And that was when I knew I had to have you. A fine addition to my collection. However, you are no match for me. Therefore I offer you the distinct privilege of working under my exalted reign."

Vegeta felt as if his head would explode any second now. Part of him would rather die here, even if it was at the hands of Frieza, so he could at least die an honourable death. _'Unlike his own father.' _Vegeta thought bitterly. But the other part of him wasn't ready to die.

"At what cost?" Vegeta found himself asking.

"You work under my rule specifically. You will obey my every rule and in return I will spare you your life."

He was a Prince. He possessed the blood of generations of elites and he was asked to work for the Ice-jin. "No fucking way." Vegeta spat.

Before he knew it Frieza was before him. The speed that which the Ice-jin moved at was almost incomprehensible. Frieza's tail wound its way around Vegeta's throat and lifted him off the ground. All Vegeta did was stare blankly at him.

"I don't believe I gave you a choice Vegeta." Frieza spat, all pretence of civility gone as spittle flew at his face. "Like I told you before Vegeta, I'm going to enjoy breaking you." Frieza promised as he threw Vegeta onto the ground.

Frieza gathered a massive ball of red ki at the tip of his finger and looked right into Vegeta's blazing black eyes as he smirked at the helplessness the Prince revealed in his gaze. The Ice-jin then pointed his finger towards the planet's ground before he released the ki ball from his finger. He cackled as the burning ki started to break through the planet's surface and penetrate its core.

Vegeta turned his head away from Frieza, refusing to show any emotion towards the Ice-jin as he gulped back the wretched taste of frustrated bile and anger that started to choke him. Cracks of rolling thunder could be heard as dark clouds began to loom above, shrouding them in darkness. Vegeta felt that figurative dagger that had pierced his heart earlier cause his only sense of sentimentality to wither away like a shrivelled piece of fruit.

He closed his eyes as anger blurred his vision over his father's cowardly betrayal in not informing him about the true nature of Frieza's vendetta. He frowned as the force of the hatred he now felt for Frieza settle inside his chest where his heart once beat. When the Saiyan Prince opened his eyes again they were nothing but bottomless pits of frozen bleakness.

The Prince lay there on his knees, his face hard and impassive and his stature stoic. With every inhale he felt himself losing his choice. He turned slightly to face the terrified Zorn who stayed stock still on his knees. Vegeta stood slowly, his pride warring inside of him, demanding he change his fate. And yet his mind knew he had already lost this battle.

Vegeta stood up as proudly as he could in his state and walked around Zorn, who was still kneeling defeatedly on the ground, and his pride nodded at him to continue. Vegeta grabbed a hold of Zorn's tail which was bristling and swaying with fear before him. He tugged harshly at it before Zorn could react, snapping the appendage clean off from Zorn's tailbone.

Vegeta then stretched the tail between his hands before he looped it around Zorn's neck. The older Saiyan did not try to fight his punishment as he still believed his actions were born from his undying loyalty to the crown. And if this was the fate his new King saw fit for him then he would accept it without struggle. Either way he would die with his home Planet.

"This is far less than what you truly deserve traitor." Vegeta spoke harshly and coldly as he continued to strangle Zorn. "But consider this a payment for all the years of loyalty you served to my father. Not to me." Vegeta growled as he jerked his hands to break Zorn's neck with a satisfying crack. That seemed to alleviate some of his pent up frustration and appease some of his angry pride at his situation and Vegeta opened his closed palms causing Zorn to fall on his face, dead.

Frieza smirked in approval at Vegeta's behaviour as he motioned for Dodoria to grab Vegeta. Dodoria chose to be purposefully harsh as he jerked Vegeta forward. The Prince tried to pull his hand away from Dodoria's hold but the pink alien refused to let go. Vegeta refused to go willingly. Frieza himself would have to drag him off his planet. Just as he was about to sink his teeth into Dodoria's arm and rip out some flesh the fat being screeched in pain as he was blasted from the side.

Vegeta turned around sharply to see a figure shrouded in the shadows standing before him. Lighting flashed and some dark clouds parted to reveal a bloody and bruised Bardock with an outstretched hand standing before them. The Saiyan had a red band wrapped around his head and Vegeta flinched knowing what that symbolised. Recognition for the dead.

"Frieza, you will not leave Vegeta-sei with our Prince." Bardock declared loudly.

Kakarot's father had been engaged in continous battle for most of the day and he was just about ready to drown himself in a regen tank, when duty towards his Prince brought him to the thick of things. Zorn had been fighting beside him and the two had been a formidable team, defeating countless enemies before the blue skinned alien had managed to best both Saiyans before flying off with Zorn. Needless to say, Bardock was sporting many battle injuries that adorned his tanned skin with open gashes and smearings of blood. Even in his weary state though, he was proud to say that most of the blood that covered him was from the beings he killed rather than the many wounds he wore. In the end though, no matter his state, Bardock would fight to the death for his Prince. Even with the knowledge that he couldn't win.

Vegeta felt his gut clench as he looked at Bardock. His face reminiscent of Kakarot and the Prince wondered what would become of him and Bulma when this planet blew up. She was smart, but they were in the third eye and there was no way they could tell what was going on outside the Palace. He felt pride also in knowing that at least some of his people still pledged their allegiance to him.

'_Bardock. He's too strong.'_ Vegeta telepathically told the older Saiyan. As his Prince, Vegeta could not let Bardock go blindly into a fight against Frieza while he stood back and watched, not strong enough to fight himself.

Vegeta and Bardock's gaze locked and the Saiyan Prince could only see passionate loyalty burning in the other Saiyan's eyes. Vegeta was slightly taken aback by Bardock's unwavering faith in him and something akin to regret momentarily shone inside Vegeta as he knew what was to become of the older Saiyan.

Before Bardock could respond Dodoria had stood up again and threw a ki blast at the elder Saiyan which shot straight past Bardock's unruly hair. Bardock managed to move his head just in time to avoid being hit straight in the face but some of his hair was snipped off and the red band around his head fell to his feet. Bardock crouched into a fighting stance, ready to pounce. At that moment Frieza stepped forward, halting Dodoria from attacking. Vegeta's eye twitched as he was absolutely powerless to stop what happened next.

Frieza looked at Bardock disinterestedly before he raised his finger above his head, gathering a large ball of ki at his fingertip. Bardock furiously sent a ball of ki towards Frieza which was just absorbed by Frieza's own ki ball before the Ice-jin sent his energy straight at Bardock. Vegeta cringed at the sight of Bardock being blown away, miles from them, before he turned towards Frieza. Before the Saiyan Prince could react Dodoria was back at his side, this time accompanied by Zarbon.

Dodoria elbowed the Prince in his gut, relieving the frustration Bardock had caused using Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince fell to his knees in pain as he coughed up more blood. Zarbon and Dodoria roughly grabbed Vegeta's arms before they picked him up, Dodoria's sharp nails digging into his arm in silent warning. Not before the Saiyan Prince had managed to pick up Bardock's red band though. Crunching it in his fist Vegeta used it as a reminder of what he would have to do.

Before anyone could move any further Frieza's scouter beeped and everyone stood still, as Frieza remained rooted to the spot, like sheep who waited to follow their master. Frieza's face contorted in rage as he slurred angrily to the person on the other end of the communication link.

"Follow them and bring them both back alive." Frieza demanded before he pulled out his scouter and smashed it in the palm of his hands. He then turned around to stare intimidatingly at the Saiyan Prince.

"Vegeta." Frieza stared directly into Vegeta's eyes, his inky red pupils daring Vegeta to lie to him. "Tell me where this lovely scientist of yours is? I just received a transmission stating that one of my men saw her launch off into a pod with a man who looked eerily like that fool I just killed."

'_Kakarot.'_ Vegeta thought bitterly. While he had been fighting with his life those traitors had took off and completely disobeyed his orders. And he had been a fool for considering their whereabouts.

"Why?" Vegeta asked almost nonchalantly.

At this Frieza bent towards Vegeta. "I only require the best Vegeta. The best wine," Frieza said as he traced a finger along the blood that dribbled down Vegeta's strong jaw. Vegeta resisted the weak urge to throw up as Frieza sucked at his blood that smeared the Ice-jin's finger. He was no stranger to Frieza's act but having it done to him was pure degradation. "The best monkey." Frieza continued as he mused Vegeta's hair. Vegeta scowled in disgust before shaking away his head from Frieza's hand. "And now the best scientist." Frieza slapped Vegeta across his face for moving his head away from the Ice-jin's touch and the Prince's neck snapped to the side. "I have someone tailing them as we speak but if they do so disappoint me I would like to know her possible whereabouts." Frieza concluded.

In truth, Frieza already had a very good idea as to where the scientist would possibly be going to from what he had gathered from Zorn. Only he needed to remind his little Prince who was in charge here. He wanted this to be Vegeta's first act of submission to his superiority. He had great plans for Vegeta and for the Earthling he was yet to meet. Great plans indeed.

Vegeta couldn't deny that Bulma was the best scientist in the Universe. There was nothing that Bulma's mind could imagine that she couldn't invent with her own hands. His mind flashed with a distant sight of blue and a light flowery scent wafted through his blood clogged nose and Vegeta cursed himself for not just fucking Bulma and killing her when he had had the chance.

He had started to play games with her and for a being who did not waste time playing games he had put aside his lust to keep her with him. Lulling her into a false sense of security by not touching her and re-purging that stupid mud ball of hers. Maybe there had been some truth to Zorn thinking Bulma had some power over him after all. She was always challenging him and he seemed always to give in to her mind games. She always managed to emerge stronger than him in all their mental battles.

Vegeta looked straight into Frieza's eyes. He knew then what he'd do. Vegeta squeezed the red material in his hand as if it solidified his decision before he opened his mouth to speak. Screw Frieza, he'd turn this game into his own. He'd show Frieza the "fine art of revenge".


End file.
